Year of the Snake
by Panzerbelle
Summary: Regina Mills is finally old enough to go to Hogwarts, but little known to her, the world she's about to enter is filled with secrets; secrets about the world, her friends and even herself. Will she have the ability to finally please her mother, or will she use this as an opportunity to escape her baleful influence?
1. Chapter One

_YEAR OF THE SNAKE_

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but Reina and Paulus. This is not wrtitten to profit from either Once Upon a Time, or Harry Potter in any way. It's a product of my own febrile imagination, inteneded as amusement. That said, thank you great and mighty powers for letting play in your sandbox.

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this up, ****this and several other chapters have been ready to go for more than a week, delayed only by my pursuit of a cover. I recently got a new computer and I couldn't find my Photoshop disk, so naturally I tried other programs. GIMP is awful. isn't much better. **

**That said, ****I've always hated that Regina got railroaded, abused, tricked, backstabbed by ****_everyone _****and then blamed for it all. Yeah, I know, she was the Evil Queen, but absolutely no one in that show has clean hands. I could rant on for an hour, but I won't. This popped into my head a while back. I wondered what RM would be like if she were given some support to go with her choices. This kind of bubbled to the top. I've tried to stay true to the characters as much as possible. Please let me know how I did.**

Chapter 1

Kylesley House was not a happy place. It might have been once upon a time, but all that had changed. The first house ghosts and been 'born' in the earliest part of the twentieth century, when there had been plague in the land. After that the high walled house had passed to a new family. They had been happy-ish for a while. Then The War had happened. Loneliness and sickness had turned to madness and one fine day the lady wife of the estate took a shotgun and three shells and put an end to sickness forever. But not to loneliness. Never to loneliness. Mother, daughter and son joined the spectral residents and the house passed again, this time to a very powerful witch and her husband. It hadn't been happy since.

"...Yes, I know that I should probably go as well," Cora Mills' impatience echoed into the high walled atrium, wringing a sigh from the girl who was standing behind the door. That note was something that Regina had long ago learned to take for granted as her mother's normal tone of voice. "...But someone in this family has to live up to their social responsibilities." Her husband's murmured 'yes dear' wasn't even a speed bump for Cora's caroming diatribe. "If it weren't for me, our family name would still be the scorn of the wizarding world."

"Yes, dear."

"Both of you should be grateful for my efforts." The woman's heels clopped sternly onto the wooden floor, probably near the French doors. "After all, _I'm_ the one who has managed to raise us from absolute anonymity, while the pair of you are apparently quite content to muck around in the stable yard all day. _I _was the one who secured her admission to Hogwarts. I will not have my daughter become a... a... a hedge witch, or a fortune teller, or something equally vile."

"I doubt that would happen dear, Regina's really quite..." Henry's attempt to put a positive tone in his voice was brutally squashed by his wife's next words.

"Do not use the word _gifted_." Somehow the disdain of Cora's hiss penetrated the wood of the door much more than her previous volume. "I'm the one who has worked for the last decade to keep her from being some shire-born nobody. Me. If it weren't for the dance instructor or the elocution tutors..." The clop sounded again as her mother moved even further away. "If it were up to you, she'd probably be attending Hogwarts as a... a... Hufflepuff. Regina barely knows a dozen charms and hasn't mastered any of them. My efforts are the only reason she has a chance of becoming Slytherin."

Regina's chin settled on her ruffled collar as a hot coal of shame settled into the girl's throat as she considered her failures. She couldn't even do the _mundopurium_ charm right yet and she did it four of five times a day. Granted, there was never any stable dust on her riding boots or loose bits of hay, but stray hairs still managed to escape her careful braids and her bows were never quite crisp enough, always choosing the wrong time to droop.

"...And for heaven's sake, don't let her get a toad," Cora's quite vitriol ate its way back into Regina's ears. "Any fool can pick one up in any swamp. No one after the age of three is frightened of those silly things anyway. And a cat would be even worse. They're not merely common, they're cliché. I won't have Regina carting about something that could have been found in a barnyard or duckpond. A witch's familiar must be something that contributes to their total presentation."

"Yes dear."

"So far, through no effort of her own, Regina has managed not to mar herself in some way. Since she hasn't any noticeable magical aptitude, we must capitalize on her appearance," Cora's voice didn't need to grow louder to strike harder, but it did and out in the wide entry hall, Regina sighed.

"Cora,' Henry's soft baritone derailed the next wave, "Regina's quite a lovely girl and carries herself like a little queen. She lives up the name..."

The hiss returned. "Henry Mills, do not speak to me about her name. Ours is a joke in the wizarding world. Mills? _Mills?_ It's positively bucolic, a shack powered by waterwheels and grindstones." The hard sound of her heels carried her back, fading to a clomp when she reached the carpet. "Our world spins on an axis made of names and reputations and by heaven, I'll have people tremble at the name of Mills, even if I have to..."

"Dear, don't you have a meeting?"

Regina stared at the back of the door as if she could see her father standing in the room. He'd managed to interrupt her mother a few times, always smoothly, always carefully, but this time may have been the one too many. Cora Mills could shift instantly from throwing barbed words to throwing magic in the blink of an eye, especially when her temper was waning.

"You don't want to miss it, do you?" Henry continued in an almost hurried voice. "You've been talking about it for days. Something about the Flamel estate?"

"You're right." Cora's sigh was the equivalent of an angry jay ruffling and then smoothing its feathers. "I've let this little distraction take too much of my time already." She clomped towards the door. "I should go too, if for no other reason than to keep the pair of you from getting yourselves taken in by every charlatan with a pushcart."

Regina's eyes grew wide as the hoof-like clip of Cora's shoes trotted towards the door. Mother could be quite wroth with eaves-droppers and spies, unless she was the one doing the spying, of course. The woman paused at the door, giving her a chance to move behind a nearby floor vase.

"I've already had her uniforms and miscellany delivered. It shouldn't take all day for you to procure two little things," Cora concluded. "The longer you're out with her, the more chance the both of you have to get into trouble and if you do anything to damage our already precarious..."

"I understand, dear," Henry said mildly. "Oh. Look at the time. It's nearly eight-thirty..."

Cora grumbled. "Yes. I've got to go now or the others will leave us nothing but a few homeless spiders and unused bedclothes."

The door swung open and Cora gave no backwards look, hurrying by with a flutter of turquoise colored robes and an impatient lift to her chin. Regina watched the woman storm away, her face painted with a strange mix of emotions; relief and sadness. Love and disappointment. Shame. In a way it really did bother her to feel glad that her mother wasn't coming with them to Daigon Alley, but she also knew nothing she found or saw would be interesting or good enough. Besides, her mother was going to secure more treasures for the family...

"Regina?" Henry's voice sounded right beside her, making her whirl. "I was just coming to find you. You didn't hear all that, did you?"

Regina gave a deprecating little nod-shrug. "Part of it, but it's not important." Her brown eyes turned upwards to her father's. "I'd rather go with you anyway."

"Well thank you," Henry sketched a little bow and put some cheer into his voice. "It's always a joy to spend time with my favorite queen."

Regina's expression brightened at once and she returned a quick curtsey-bob. "I really wasn't trying to listen in. I was really coming to find you, daddy. It's already past time for us to go, especially if we want to beat the crowds."

"So it is, so it is." The mutton-chopped man made a show of checking his pocket watch. "We should get a move on then, shouldn't we?" he held out his hand and Regina claimed it happily. "I've got a few surprises for you."

"Really? What? Tell me?"

Henry made a show of looking both ways before kneeling in front of her. "Now, you can't tell your mother..." Regina's grin broadened and she crossed her heart. "Very well. I shall give you the first now, but only the first. We can't have little ears overhearing."

Regina giggled and shook her head. It wasn't as if the house elves were about to tell Cora anything, she terrified them. Still, the woman did have a way of knowing things.

"Since you're going away to school, I thought it might be nice to be able to come home... if you really needed to," Henry stood and cleared his throat. "So, I've spoken to Mrs. Stewart about this and she's agreed to let the house elves connect the oak room to the flu network..."

"But daddy," Regina looked up wide-eyed, "That's one of the rooms that's always belonged to the ghosts. It used to be Anna and Nicolas' bedroom. They sleep there."

"I know, I know, princess," Henry patted her arm gently, "but Mrs. Stewart and her family are rather fond of you. They understand that sometimes... life isn't easy. She and Anna and Nicolas and Mr. Tuttle, Lydia and the other Mrs. Mills all agreed that if you needed a quiet way back into the house, that you should have it."

"That's very kind of them," Regina observed.

"It is," Henry agreed, "so you must not misuse their trust." He led the way to the broad staircase that would take them to the second floor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Regina marched along beside her father, careful to maintain a straight spine and fixed, neutral expression. Mother had always told her that ladies don't complain, they endure, but enduring the air of muggle London was very, very difficult indeed. It was an invisible but jagged miasma, wretched with a thousand different smokes and chemical stinks that burned her throat and made her eyes tear. It took real effort not to complain.

One of the sources of her current torture zoomed by only a few yards away. According to her father, the colored metal coaches exhaled poison, making the air even worse every day. The girl found herself growing more and more apprehensive as he led her to the edge of the sidewalk. She glanced up when they'd stopped, comforted somehow that his eyes seemed to be giving him trouble as well.

"I may have made a mistake asking to come this way," she said as she watched the weird machines grumble by.

Henry Mills smiled and looked down into the red veined eyes of his daughter. "Perhaps, but to tell the truth, I'm rather glad that you did."

"What? Why?"

"Lots of reasons." Not far away the orange man-rune in the sigil box turned into a green one and he squeezed her fingers with an unspoken signal to come on. "It shows adventurous spirit, courage and the willingness to see new things."

She held his hand and tried harder to ignore her misery as they stepped off together. "I don't feel very adventurous," Regina's replied timidly. The chrome-lined grins of the machines were very close by and their glass eyes seemed to follow her hungrily. "I just wanted to do this because mother wouldn't ever let me see the city before." One of the cars further back in the pack honked and she turned her eyes quickly to see how far away the other side of the road was. "I'm starting to think she was right."

Henry chuckled. "She was. But so are you."

"I don't understand."

"The muggle world is a dangerous place," he swung her up playfully onto the curb, "but it's far more dangerous if you're totally ignorant of how it works. Think of it like a jungle; if you understand what the noises mean, you have a better idea of when it's safe..."

"The way Radagast knew when he could pet the lion, in _Southron Journeys."_

"Exactly so." His hand gestured to the cars that were beginning to roll past again. "These are incredibly dangerous machines, yet millions and millions of people drive them every day, all over the world. Only a few are killed and as a rule, they're usually unobservant or careless." He knelt and grinned into the face of his watery-eyed daughter. "Unfortunately, a few minutes in the course of a single day will not be long enough to teach you very much. So that said, how about we accept our ignorance and soothe our frayed nerves with a glass of pumpkin juice at the Leaky Cauldron? It'll be our little secret."

"Another secret, you mean," Regina grinned.

When they set off again, the horrid air seemed almost bearable. After a few short minutes more, they turned off the main street and though the air didn't improve, they were further away from the machines.

Henry pushed black door to The Leaky Cauldron open with a slight creak and the pair stepped inside, hurrying, but trying not to look like it. Warmer, yeasty air brushed their cheeks and settled on their clothes as they stepped into a dingy, somehow older light. When her father closed the door behind them, they both felt that he was shutting a strange, foreign world out, instead of shutting them inside.

Regina looked wide-eyed around the shadowy room. This was the _real_ Leaky Cauldron. She'd heard about it from her tutors of course, but now she stood in a place that had been one of the secret meeting places for the resistance when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was terrifying the world. She shivered with excitement, imagining the amazing stories absorbed by the plain whitewashed walls. And the people...

'_Well, maybe not the people,'_ she reluctantly conceded.

It was very difficult to imagine the mild-faced older man behind the bar fighting anyone, nevermind raising a defiant fist against the darkest of the dark wizards. As for the dark-haired younger one who had charmed his spoon to stir... Well, perhaps sitting and reading quietly was just a disguise. Maybe he was some sort of secret agent for the Ministry of Magic...

The only remaining man in the place _did_ look the part. Iron grey hair shorn short seemed to accentuate the broad scar on his right cheek. Once upon a time flame must have kissed him and made his flesh run like heated wax. His clothes were provincial, but immaculate and well-fit. All in all, he had the broad-shouldered look of a soldier about him.

He sat at a back table, beside a girl about her age, though there was little way she could have been his daughter. He had a hint of tan, probably from laboring under the English sun, but her skin was more the dusk of mysterious Egypt and her hair was as midnight black as Regina's own. The man's features were somewhat broad and somewhat common looking, but he had a noble nose and his eyes were black. Her features were finer somehow, but it was her eyes that were most out of place. They were nearly almond shaped, wide as a doe's and fearless, but it was their color was that commanded attention. They were iceberg blue and they were fixed on Regina.

For long seconds they just stared; Regina Mills' curiosity tilted her head slightly. The unknown mirrored her. Regina offered a small smile. Once again, the strange girl mimicked her exactly. A temptation to walk over and speak to the strange girl settled heavily on her and she was just about to yield when her father called out.

"Regina dear, I've gotten us some pumpkin juice."

The olive skinned glanced over to see her father gesturing for her to come to the bar. When she looked back, the two at the table had turned their eyes to each other and where talking quietly. Regina gave a little shrug and walked over to the tall seat her father stood beside.

"Now remember," he said, as he helped her up, "you mustn't tell your mother I let you get a drink from a bar. She'd skin us both alive."

"I won't," Regina grinned as he slid her seat forward.


	2. Chapter One and a Half

_Year of the Snake 1 1/2_

_DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. This wasn't done for profit. No infringement intended. Thank you great and mighty powers for letting me play in your sandbox._

**A/N: Yes, Chapter One and a Half. Odd isn't it? I formatted this way for two reasons; first, because in the beginning I was worried about story length. Some are going to be quite long. Second, because the 'part chapters' are background as much as anything else. You don't _really_ need to read them, but they do expand content and explain a few things. Third, because when I originally wrote this Reina was my main and I needed to change that. Not to say that all the little part chapters are always going to be about her, they're not. They're going to have other characters doing things that aren't included in Regina's point of view. I just didn't want to break up the flow.**

Chapter One and a Half

The air of London burned her lungs, her eyes and felt like a corrupting, oily film clinging to her skin. The taste was worse than bile. As for the noises it carried... Reina nearly cringed as another colored metal stench monsters grumbled past. They seemed to be getting hungrier as she and Paulus approached the edge of the sidewalk. Paulus, ever proper; tall, strong and stiff, held her small hand firmly as they waited for the sigil boxes on the poles to change their runes to something more favorable. Reina glanced up and was somehow relieved to see his face set, miserable in its rigidity.

"Let's go," he gave her hand a short warning jerk before he stepped off the curb.

They strode quickly across the heraldically striped patch of road, uncomfortable before the growling wall of metal beasts and bared chromium fangs. Rather than let the monsters know their true feelings, both concealed their fears beneath hard scowls.

"I hate this place," the girl wiped at her watering eyes. "It stinks worse than the bone-pits."

The iron-haired man snorted. "I never thought I'd agree with you. The sooner we accomplish our duty, the sooner we get away from these... these..."

"Muggles," the girl finished for him. "Mother says to use their words. Lesser humans are muggles."

His fingers tightened on her own, quieting her; a reflex at having to accept correction from a child. If nothing else, duty forbade any true soldier to retaliate for something so petty, but nothing could prevent him from bridling a little.

The pair continued forward; he, bitter as the poisonous air, she resigned. They were both grateful when they could leave busy Charing Cross and picked up their pace, but as they drew nearer to their destination, Paulus slowed them again. Old reflexes had started him looking around more carefully; an eye-flick to the roofline, others towards nearby alley mouths. By the time the found their destination, he was convinced no one was following.

The curved black door to The Leaky Cauldron opened with a slight creak and Paulus led the way in. Reina followed at his gesture. Even this early the air was warm. Reina felt herself relax as the muggle-torn air of London was replaced by the scent of the village tavern back home. She was grateful when he shut the door behind them.

"I need a drink." The long burn scar on the old man's cheek was nearly glowing in the half-light. He jerked his chin towards one of the corners. "Get a table. I'll get something for both of us. Keep your mouth shut until I get there."

Reina frowned, but did as she was told. There weren't many people here yet; the sun hadn't been up very long at all. Only one person sat between her and the table Paulus had nodded towards and he seemed more intent on his book than anything else. Still, she kept well away from the dark-haired man who'd charmed his spoon to stir his cup of roasted-nut-something.

"We should be going soon," Reina suggested when he finally returned and put a glass in front of her. The orange sludge tasted as noxiously vegetable as it smelled._ 'Pumpkin juice,'_ she frowned._ 'How do they drink this stuff?'_ As usual, whatever he had in his mug smelled better.

"We have time enough for some review," he graveled as he sat, putting his back to the wall. "The sorting hat will be your first great hurdle..."

Those were the exact same words her mother had used so many months ago when she'd lived to b e chosen. "I know," Reina returned. "I remember. Mother's spy says that it puts us in the right clutch depending on some weird arcana..."

"House," Paulus growled. "Not clutch. Don't slip up now."

"I won't," she took a second, unhappy sip of sludge. The stuff made her grimace as she fought not to gag. "I'm supposed to tell it that I don't want to be in Slytherin. If mother's right, the hat will put me somewhere else."

"Right. You'll ask to go to..."

"Ravenclaw." Reina pushed the awful glass away. "Gryffindor's too obvious. At least I think so. Everybody wants to be in the house of heroes." Something in her choice of words made Paulus' frown deepen. He took a deep draught of the stuff in his mug as she continued. "If the books you've gotten me are right, Ravenclaw will work. They're supposed to value intelligence. Their saying is 'wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure'. Any strange questions I ask can be explained away by that."

"You might be right," the older man wiped his lips. "Still, you shouldn't get too far from the plan. The old snake might not like it."

Reina stifled her grin. 'Old snake' was far more charitable than some of the terms she'd thought of for her mother, but she didn't let on. Part of Paulus' job was testing her.

Across the room, a small troop of people marched in the front and out again through the back door. She glanced up at the older man. He'd seen them too, but hadn't moved.

"You've only got six years to find _it_." Paulus said. "Probably less. If You-Know-Who finds it, then it'll go worse for you than the rest of us." He didn't move when the next chattering threesome came through the pub. Or the mob that blundered in shortly after that.

"Mother told me that if _he_ finds it first, I won't live long enough to hear it blow," Reina's voice was quietly afraid. "Do you think..?"

Another pair came in; a slightly pudgy man and his daughter. Unlike all the other children that had been through so far, she wasn't wearing a school cloak.

The girl, whoever she was, looked over curiously. Frank. Unafraid. Even this far away Reina could see that the air outside had reddened her eyes and that fact alone made her more interesting. The stranger gave a little head tilt, the way a curious animal might. Reina decided to do the same. Then the girl smiled. The dark-skinned girl mimicked her again, wondering where their odd little game was going to lead, but she never got the chance to find out. The man had gone over to the bar and called out for her.

"Quit staring. She's a rich kid," Paulus' voice was firm, but low.

"She's interesting," Reina replied. She looked over in time to see him kill off his mug. "I wonder if she's going to Hogwarts."

"You'll find out tomorrow. Now, it's time to go."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Reina was amazed for the hundredth time at the nose-blindness of humanity. If the air of muggle London had been tortured by the stinks it was chained to, then the atmosphere of Daigon Alley carried its own burden with all the contentment of a farmer bearing his goods to market. She wished that she could just stand quietly and breathe. There was time here, like centuries hanging in the clear air. There was old earth, a thousand years of animals and pure water hidden in furtive chinking moss. The cleansing odor of lightening shared the morning breeze with... Sugar? The girl half turned to follow the out-of-place scent when Paulus tugged her back.

She thought fast. "The map you made me study said Ollivanders is this way," Reina nodded up the gaudy street.

"It is and we'll go there, but need to go somewhere else before the crowds start," Paulus replied. He tightened his grip on Reina's hand and strode with a nonchalant sort of hurry in the opposite direction.

"If you didn't want to be seen, then why wait until all those others had come through?"

"Never, ever go through a door first." The old warrior began speaking sing-song, as if remembering an old nursery rhyme. "First one through buys a fine plot. The second tills it. The third fills it." Reina looked up to capture his expression. He was looking somewhere else, somewhere long ago and far away. "Anyone after that harvests what the other three have sown and grown." He shook himself back into the here-and-now. "Besides, no one else will be going where we are."

"So where are we going?" Reina asked, hoping he might actually give a straight answer.

"Your mother's bought something from a man named Goldskin. Paid him for it, anyway. We have to pick it up." He shook his head. "He's a slimy one, so don't speak at all when we get there. He'd sell poison in the desert to people who want a drink."

"What's the point of that?"

Paulus sighed impatiently. "It's sort of a parable." He glanced down, frowning at her ignorant expression. "Look, it's simple; if they can buy anything to drink, they've got money. When they die, he can loot the corpses for what's left." Paulus frowned.

Reina thought about that as he led her along. "Seems a waste."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if he poisons them so that they die, then he's throwing away some of his profit," she suggested thoughtfully. "It would be better to drug them unconscious, steal from them and sell them as slaves to people with even more money. That way he makes money on them three times instead of just twice. Or better still, he could sell the healthiest ones, kill the weak and sell bits of them as fresh meat."

Paulus shuddered. "You're your mother's daughter, do you know that?"

"Don't tell her that. She'd roast you alive."

It was too early for anyone else to be out in the close, winding way he led them down and somehow Reina was grateful. The leaning, crooked buildings matched the steep, often uneven cobbles in a way that went far deeper than shared neglect. Somehow the walls, the ground and even the atmosphere here seemed to close in, wrapping the pair in a cloying mantle of half-evaporated blood, misery and barely concealed screams. Imagining the sort of people that would call this place home made her wary.

Reina felt her teacher force his muscles loose. According to the little her mother had let slip, Paulus had once been a fierce and very war-experienced member of his race. Unfortunately, he was still only human and that meant he was mostly sense blind and, considering what stories the atmosphere told, she didn't feel comfortable relying completely on him. In the end, Reina satisfied herself by nearly closing her eyes, letting him steer while she let her feet find their own way across the cobbles. No longer distracted, her other senses reached out, listening and scenting for anything that might become a danger. In a strange way the place made her feel as though she'd come home again. Maybe if they hurried they could get out of here soon.

The older man guided them to a dark, weather-beaten old shop that had somehow managed to shoulder itself between a clapboard something that smelled like an abandoned slaughterhouse and a false marble something else that looked like a dilapidated asylum. It was an unlovely little place that looked so old and ominous that it might have once sent Charles Dickens running. The rusty Victorian hanging sign declared 'Goldskin's Midnight Emporium' in faded, flaking letters. Taken all in all, Reina found herself wishing that she could run away too. Paulus paused at the door and put his face close to hers.

"Remember what I said; do _not_ speak. Not even if you're spoken to," his whisper was harsh and laden with the stink of fight-fear. "I mean it."

"I understand." Reina nodded.

The door opened before he touched it, yawning like a maw. Both froze, half expecting to see jagged teeth. Instead, they were met by islands and shelves and cliffs of strange, dusty jetsam. Paulus led the way inside, more out of necessity than desire. Reina froze at the threshold.

When the crypt-cool air wafted out to meet her ankles, something else seemed to come with it. She could feel a cold and curious hunger nosing invisibly around her feet. It was even worse than feeling the weight of ghosts.

She tugged at the big man's hand. "Don't go in," she whispered. "Everything's dead in there. Everything."

For a moment the big man looked silently down, as if studying, weighing what she'd said. He glanced in and back down and nodded once. The gesture unnerved her more than the grave-dust smell of the place. In two years she'd been with him, with his family, this was the first time he seemed to put any real weight to anything she'd told him. Unfortunately, as soon as he'd acknowledged, he tugged them both inside. When the door shut itself behind them, there was a finality to the faint click the bolt made as it shot home.

The dim, chaotic place made her think of the wight-haunted tombs of fairy tales and vindictive curses that had worked too well. Near the door, an elephant's foot held a few notched swords instead of umbrellas. They started whispering back and forth when they noticed her. One of them giggled when she stepped back and stumbled over Paulus' feet.

"Sit still," he whispered harshly, jerking her straight. "Don't move from this spot and touch anything."

Within a moment she was alone. Other goods in the shop seemed to sense her isolation and began pressing themselves against her mind. Everything wanted to be seen and touched. There were haphazardly stacked books that wanted reading and even a few terrified toys that silently cried out their loneliness, but the worst thing were the Christmas balls.

There were three of them, all made of clear glass, all hanging from a triangle of beaten iron. Reina looked back for Paulus, but he had disappeared into the shadows. She stepped out of the spot he'd selected and over to see. As she drew nearer she could see that there was something at the bottom of each dusty globe, though in the dim light, it was hard to tell exactly what. Only a few feet remained when she saw that one had tiny, wavery letters wiped in the dust.

_'HELP ME'_

The words were on the inside. Horrified, but unable to look away, she squinted and saw a pair of what looked like butterfly wings, only broken loose and half covering a tiny, tiny curled up skeleton.

"And just what are you doing here, deary?" The weird little man had appeared out of nowhere.

Reflex caused Reina to drop her hand for a low, disemboweling stroke and trying to unsheathe the talons her mother had hidden away.

"Interesting. Very interesting indeed." His odd, gold-flecked eyes flicked to her mundane fingertips and back to her face. "So just whose little... _girl_ are you?" His leering voice held no surprise or concern. Indeed, he sounded almost pleasantly curious.

"She's with me," Paulus' heavy footfalls sounded like a rescue as he strode out from behind a high-piled shelf. "We've got business."

"Business?" the strange little man straightened, tilting his head with a birdlike jerk. "Business? I don't recall any business with you."

"You do. I'm the agent for Lady Selcouth. She's already paid you..."

"And you would be the selcouth child yes?" He leaned near Reina's wide eyed face. He giggled when Paulus kept her from swinging with useless human nails. "Now, now, deary, good little girls don't typically rend total strangers, now do they? Only little monsters do that." Reina said nothing as his long, oddly glistening finger crept towards her face. "Did you know your mommy bought a bit of jewelry off me some time ago? Have you seen it? A black cameo on a bit of silvered glass?" His eyes flicked over her again, hovering near her neck. "Are you wearing it now, I wonder?"

"Get on with it Goldskin," Paulus' impatient growl didn't seem to affect the man's bizarre happiness at all.

"Lady Selcouth, Lady Selcouth." His stride was nearly a skip as he made his way past the pair. "Yes, she asked me for a book some time ago, a rather special book. Follow, follow. Follow me." The strange little man giggled his way back into the shadows.

Reina and Paulus exchanged the same look, took a breath and followed the skinny, stiffly dressed gnome through the jagged darkness towards the back of the narrow store.

"I have it here!" The man's voice was almost as loud as the accompanying slam of something flat on a counter. "Yes, yes, a very rare type of book indeed. So rare that I had to make this one myself. But that's the thing, isn't it?" He grinned broadly as the pair arrived. "There can be only one, so they say. Only one of you," his jagged teeth leered at the girl, "only one book for you."

"There should be other things to go with it," Paulus grumped. He reached out, spun the beaten leather volume around and tried to open it. "Instructions and some special ink."

"It doesn't work that way, friend," Goldskin purred.

"The cover is skin," Reina breathed. Her eyes darted up to Paulus'. "It's bound up in human skin."

"Skin of a murdered wizard, yes yes," The man agreed quickly enough. He winked at her. "So glad you could finally join the conversation. It needs you to work. Only your blood can bring it to life."

Paulus grabbed her wrist and squeezed hard before she could say more. "We came for everything."

"Oh no. She gets the rest when she accepts the book," Goldskin said. "It's all hers after that."

"Wh-?" Paulus squeezed her to silence.

"What does she have to do?"

"Just a little blood." He flourished a needle bladed stiletto from one sleeve. "What's a little blood between friends?"

Reina tried to pull away.

"Oh come now, deary, all magic comes with a price," Goldskin tittered. "And the price for this was very high indeed."

Paulus' growl had a hard time escaping the grinding cage of his teeth. "What. Does. She. Have. To. Do."

"Not much," the little man rolled his eyes, apparently disappointed that no one else wanted to play. "I prick her finger, she presses it to the cover and voila, it opens for her and only her. Ever."

"I'll do it." The knife the old warrior produced from the small of his back looked more like a cleaver to Reina's wide eyes. "Sit still."

She barely felt the tiny slice open on her smallest finger.

"Touch it to the cover, deary."

She did. Instantly the book grew warm beneath her fingers and glowing, gold-leaf letters began to form. "Liber Regina? But that's not..." Paulus hushed her.

There was a crash from somewhere in the dim behind the counter, as if something had fallen over in the back of the store. Reina looked over the counter as the two men jumped, startled.

"Please excuse me," Goldskin began to turn, but Paulus snatched the little man's collar before he could get away. A look of rage sharpened his narrow features. "How dare you..."

"Save it. You're not going anywhere before we get the rest," Paulus rumbled. He stared hard at the little man. "It would be a pity if word got out that you cheated paying customers."

"Very well," Goldskin snarled. When Paulus released him, he twisted back around, rummaging quickly beneath the counter, instantly producing an ornate ink jar and a writing quill that was just nib and naked spine. Goldskin spoke quickly, casting frequent looks back over his shoulder. "Look, it's the well that's special here. Put any kind of ink in it. Any kind at all. But after that you must put another few drops of your blood."

"That's a lot of blood," Paulus observed.

"It's a lot of magic," the little man growled. "You've activated the book, it will open only for you. If you leave it open or something equally foolish, only you can call up whatever you write in the special ink." He looked back again. "Open the book now."

Reina blinked at his sudden venom, but obeyed. The suddenly fierce shopkeeper pushed it wide, put the squat bottle and the quill on the first page and slammed the book again. It closed perfectly. There was another noise in back that made him positively frantic to jerk a thick envelope out of his jacket.

"Here," he practically threw the envelope at them as he rushed away, "it's all in here. Read it."

"This better be all we need." Paulus called out. There was no answer except for receding footsteps.

**P/N: The 'HELP ME' was supposed to be written backwards, but I can't find a way to do this on fanfic. Also, not far from here there seems to be a name typo. It's not. It's a clue. Sort of. Last, can anyone guess who just made a cameo?**


	3. Chapter Two

_Year of the Snake 2_

_DISCLAIMER: __Standard; I own nothing. Other great and mighty powers own OUAT and Harry Potter. I'm just playing in their sandbox without any intention or hope of recomense._

**A/N: Sorry it's taken so long for an update. In addition to work and computer issues, I usually have to wait a few days before I review/correct my chapters, so I can look at it with a fresh eye. I _always _find things to fix. On the other hand, I'm finding that I usually have more than one chapter at the update. Today there are three.**

**That said, I've come to realize that the start is going to be a bit slow, as in several chapters before the girls even get to Hogwarts, but if you watch the movies, there are often quite a few scenes before Harry gets there as well.**

Chapter 2

Regina was terrified, but the touch of the dirty man's wand against her back kept her from crying out. She wanted to scream, to run, to do anything to get away, but whatever she begged her body to do, it only did what _he _wanted. Right now he wanted her to walk quietly with him, away from the growing crowds and shops of Daigon Alley. He could steer her easily with only slight prods or by asking in a pleasant voice, but she knew that as soon as she was away from prying eyes all politeness would stop. Horrible half-remembered rumors began to percolate through her imprisoned imagination.

"_The snatchers will get you, if you don't watch out."_

"_They say the snatchers eat the ones they steal. Only children, you know. But those are only rumors after all. More tea dear?"_

They'd gone less than a hundred yards, but already the buildings had grown dingier and the crowd had thinned from early groups of students and reputable people with wares in their carts to a scattering of adults whose clothes were dirty and patched. A few of those spared a glance her way, but then they saw him guiding her along, they looked away quickly enough.

"You're doing fine, missy," the man's purr sent a confusing, but terrifying current beneath her skin. "Not far now and you'll be seeing your new home."

The world here was becoming blurrier than it had been in the stink of muggle London, but even through a veil of threatening tears, she could see the nearby mouth of an alley yawning just to their left. He began angling towards it. They were ten feet away when the dark-skinned girl from the Leaky Cauldron stepped out. Just behind her loomed the soldier. For the second time this morning those silver blue eyes locked onto Regina's own.

Everyone seemed to pause. Then, after a breath, the man began to push his prisoner forward. "Excuse us folks, my... my niece needs to get home. Stranger to the city, you know."

Regina felt her heart break. If these two didn't do something now, she was gone. The girl looked up at the soldier. He returned with a mysteriously hard expression. The man kept moving forward. Then the dark girl stepped into the path, stopping them.

"You're not her uncle," she said in an eerily calm voice. "Let her go."

"Reina..?" the soldier cautioned.

Regina looked up expecting to see the old man's face cast with rejection. Instead his eyes held some unspoken question.

The girl, knowing what he meant, only nodded.

Oddly enough it was the raggedy man that set things in motion again.

"Excuse me, I've got to..." A light touch from his wand set the well dressed girl moving forward again.

Regina managed a glance back and caught the slight smile appearing on the man's face. He must have thought he'd bluffed his way by.

An unexpected motion jerked attention back to the two strangers. The brand new, heavy book 'Reina' been cradling slipped downward behind the cross of her arms, as if she were going to let it fall. Instead, she caught it by a corner and she threw it. Hard.

The heavy rectangle of paper and leather whirred through the air, one corner smashing into the kidnapper's chest with the sound of a stone striking meat. Reina followed it in with a wordless lunge.

The snatcher staggered back, grunting, as if trying to figure out how to breathe again. What air he had didn't seem to want out and he couldn't get more in. His wand left her back as he fell away.

Suddenly freed, Regina screamed and toppled as the scrum began. She caught a glimpse of her kidnapper's wand rising to flick a curse, but the strange girl was moving too quickly, lunging in, knocking her further aside. There was the sound of another blow and his bolt whirred by, spattering coal dust from one of the nearby walls. Another short shriek escaped as Regina fell to her knees on the filthy street and a sharp, new pain flashed across her hand. Behind her there was another, more horrible sound. A beefy crackle. The man finally found voice enough to scream. She rolled over and scrabbled as far out of the way as she could.

Regina's gaped when she saw what was happening nearby. The man was down on the ground with a look of shock and pain written large on his face. The dark girl was still moving. She'd somehow taken his wand.

'_No one can do that...'_ she managed to think.

The soldier man surged forward like a tidal wave. For a moment, Regina thought he was going to give the bad man a kick. Oh, how she wanted him to. But instead he reached out and snatched the other girl by the back of her collar and flung her to the street nearby. He didn't even look to see how she landed.

Regina watched the other girl, Reina, tumble into a wall, but she didn't stay there long. She shook off the shock, snarled and gathered herself to leap back into the fight.

"STOP!" the big man commanded. Somehow, a large knife had appeared in his hand and he put the gleaming point to the bad man's face.

Everyone froze. The soldier gave another quick look around to make sure, then turned his attention to her kidnapper.

"You're lucky I'm so quick," he said in an almost conversational tone. "She was about to stab you in the eye with your own wand."

"But..."

"Save it. We saw the girl this morning with her father. They have money. You don't." Another glance volleyed back and forth, though this one was more to check on Regina. "We can do this one of two ways. First is easy. I finish this. Now."

The raggedy man's gulp was loud.

"Second is we leave you for the proper authorities," the soldier smiled. "The girl you tried to take is quality. I don't imagine they'll be anxious to let you go, do you?"

"N-no." the man started to try and scrabble away, but his right leg didn't work. He whimpered and curled up around his knee.

Regina's view of the two men was suddenly blocked by the appearance of a pleated school skirt. The strange girl knelt and reached out for her wounded hand. Her dark skin looked oddly exotic against Regina's own olive. The girl, _'Reina'_ she reminded herself, apparently had no qualms about blood. The stuff got all over one of her hands as she cradled Regina's and examined the wound.

"It's deep," she said, taking off her dark school tie. "We should get you to a healer."

"No. My mother would find out and get upset." Regina hissed as the girl pried the lips of the wound open slightly to look inside. "I shouldn't have let myself get taken. It was stupid of me."

"Yes." There was a tone in the girl's voice Regina couldn't identify. "Very foolish to be captured by an experienced criminal who just happens to outweigh you by eight stone." She laid her tie over Regina's arm. "I'm going to pull the glass out and wrap your hand with this until we can find someone to fix this."

"No, no," Regina panted. "No healers. I can do this myself. I've been hurt before. At home." She looked up with a glint of panic in her eyes. "In the stables. I fall from my horse sometimes. I-I just need a wand."

"Alright, here." Reina replied, passing her prize over. "Ready?"

Regina nodded, biting her lip.

"One... Two..."

Regina gasped as the other girl pulled the glass out, but the wand came up swiftly enough, its battered tip hovering over the gash in her palm.

"_Minor vulneribus mederi."_

A squirt of purple smoke jetted out and swirled into the girl's bleeding palm. It evaporated quickly, taking the wound with it.

"Nice trick to know," Paulus said as he walked over.

Regina glanced up. His great knife was hidden away once more. "Yes, it's been useful more than once." She offered up a hopeful smile. "I want to thank you..."

"Save it," Paulus said. "Thank her." He nodded towards Reina as he passed her back her book. "I just kept her from killing that swine. Not that I think she was wrong, but the first day of school is tomorrow and that could have delayed us."

Reina stood and offered her hand down.

"I do want to thank you," Regina said, keeping the other girl's hand to shake warmly. She gave up and threw her arms around her neck, hugging her hard. "He... I don't know what he would have done. You saved me."

"Um. I'm glad you're safe now," Reina patted her back clumsily. "We have to go. Um. Duty. You know? We must shop... for things."

"Oh." Regina drew a shuddering breath and quickly buried her tears. "Of course," she let Reina go and wiped at her eyes. "I should have realized. I'm sorry."

"For what?" Reina's brow furrowed.

"Imposing, I suppose," she offered a shattered little smile. "I-I should be going as well."

"No." Reina said simply. She glanced at the big man who merely raised another curious eyebrow. "We're in a bad place, but we're all together. It would be safer if you leave with us. Where's your father? What's his name?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Regina cleared her throat and tried to force a mask of calm propriety back onto her face. "My name is Regina Mills," she held her bloodied hand out. Reina had almost taken it when Regina jerked it back, apologizing again.

"I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to..." She waved the wand in a pass that swept her head to foot. _"Mundopurium." _Instantly the street filth hurled itself away. Blood disappeared. Even the scuffs on her black shoes faded before a brilliantly polished gleam. "Now I can greet you like a civilized person. My name is Regina Mills."

The strange girl couldn't keep herself from smiling. "Reina Selcouth."

"I'm very pleased to meet you," Regina nodded and held her hand out to the smirking soldier. "Regina Mills."

"Paulus Selcouth," he nodded. "Pleasure."

"I'm sorry about all this..." Regina began again.

"Stop," Reina said with a gentle but firm tone. "If you keep apologizing, we'll never get out of here. Who's your father and how do we find him?"

"Oh, we were on our way to Ollivanders Wand Shop. Do you know it?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Regina rocked on Paulus' broad shoulders like a mahout on an elephant. Reina walked just before them, somehow making the boisterous crowd part a little more than seemed usual as they made their way through the busy morning bustle. She was nearly giddy up in the height, not having ridden on anyone's shoulders like this for years. Mother had made it very clear that proper young ladies didn't enjoy such things. But Regina did. And whether it was that she was getting the chance to publicly flout one of her mother's imperious decrees, or that she was just having fun rocking along with an unobstructed view of all the people was unclear. However, there was no mistaking the joy beaming from her face as they passed by one shop after another on their way to Ollivanders.

'_For such an awful beginning, today is turning out wonderfully,'_ she thought. Her smile broadened when she saw a cadet blue jacket and familiar dark mutton-chops not many yards away. She tapped the old soldier's head as her other hand pointed out. "There he is," she beamed, "there's my father."

Henry Mills' eyes widened when he heard his daughter call out above the noise of the crowd. They widened even more when he saw her waving from the shoulders of a very sturdy looking man. He gestured to the blue helmeted constables nearby, who set off into the surrounding mass.

"Regina!" he called back as they approached. "Regina, where have you been?"

The man was not alone. A rather exotic looking girl in a school cloak cleared a way through the crowd as they approached. Her head turned as soon as she was visible, first one way, then the other. When her gaze returned to him, it was chillingly hard.

"Daddy!" Regina almost leapt from the man's broad shoulders before he could kneel to let her down. "Daddy! It was awful. I was taken by this terrible man." She hit Henry's waist like a very loving meteor, throwing her arms hard around him. "I thought I'd never see you again."

The police appeared, one to each side of Paulus. Reina bristled visibly, but the older man gestured her to be still.

"These two saved me." She gave a final big hug and gestured back. "These are Regina and Paulus Selcouth of Lancashire." Her eyebrows rose when she saw the firm grip the two bobbies had on Paulus' elbows. "Daddy, what are they doing?"

She let go of her father and turned to the two blue-coated men. "You release him at once, do you hear? They saved me from the real criminal." She raised a fierce finger. "Let him go at once."

Henry couldn't help but laugh. "I think it's alright, gentlemen," he said. "It seems that these are my daughter's rescuers."

Henry approached as the blue pair stood aside. "I'm Henry Mills," He smiled and stepped forward.

"Daddy, they're here shopping for Reina. She's going to be on the train tomorrow. It's her first time to Hogwarts as well," Regina grinned. "Do you think we might do something for them? They deserve something for helping me."

"I agree," Henry nodded.

"No," Reina's voice was firm. "We didn't help for any reward. It was the honorable thing to do."

Henry shook her hand first, but his face went to Paulus. "Honor is its own reward eh? My congratulations, sir, you've raised your daughter well. So few do anymore."

"She raised herself," Paulus shook next. "My wife and I just held on to whatever reins we could get."

Henry covered his confusion with a chuckle. "Well, if you won't accept a reward from a patron, then how about a gift from a friend?" He winked down at his daughter. "Call it noblesse oblige if want."

"Daddy, they have to shop before tomorrow," Regina supplied. "But Reina has to go to Ollivanders and then to find a familiar. We could go with them there and then to lunch, couldn't we?"

"Now just a minute," one of the coppers said, "your daughter was kidnapped. We need a bit more than an 'oh thank you, off you go'. We need a description at the very least."

"Would his wand help you?" Reina asked.

"Very much, miss. There are a few rituals..." he stopped when the dark girl slipped the battered looking stick from her sleeve. "Oh. A bit beaten isn't it?"

"You're lucky it's not bloody as well," Regina smirked.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Garrick Ollivander put the heavy-looking wand back in its box, and passed it over, murmuring something about Lignum Vitae and shaking his head.

"And now for you, miss..?"

"Mills," Regina looked teasingly into the old man's eyes as she spoke, copying the formal sounding phrase Reina had used when she'd first come in. "I'm to attend Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft. According to ritual, I must have a wand."

Ollivander didn't join Henry and Paulus in their chuckles, though his tone remained pleasant. "Indeed," he nodded. "Well as I said before, the choice of wands is not a thing to be rushed. Though, you are in the right place."

Regina took the bait Reina had not. "Oh? Why is that?" Regina tried to look and sound innocently ignorant as she peered above the top of the well used counter top.

"Because you're not the only one choosing," the old man smiled, apparently happy to be able to expound at last.

"But I would have thought wands were inanimate," Regina winked over at her new friend. Reina didn't notice. She was paying close attention to everything Ollivander said.

"Oh no," the old man turned away, speaking as he sought something in the walls of small boxes. "Nothing is well and truly dead, especially where magic is concerned. Wands are foci certainly, like lenses concentrating, magnifying, shaping the power of the entire universe to suit a wizard's needs." He drew out a black rectangle and set it on the counter. "But wands must also have sympathy for their wielders, an attunement, if you will."

He presented the wand grip first to the girl. "This is oak with a dryad's hair core. Eight inches. It will do well..."

The instant the girl's hand touched it a wild breeze rushed through the little shop, riffling her midnight hair as well as the old man's grey, but the most unexpected effect was in the wand itself. It began to grow. Twigs sprouted here and there at intervals along the shaft and the twigs sprouted leaves. The wand itself grew four inches longer and clothed itself in bark before she could drop it.

"Fascinating," the old man blinked. He put the wand back in the box and set that under the counter for later study. "I believe I have a druid friend who might be interested in that..." He turned and sought again.

"You were saying something about how wands work, sir?" Regina tried to level her voice and act like this sort of thing happened everyday.

"What? Oh, yes. Yes." The old man ran a finger across the higher labels as if it would read for him. "A wand is actually a very complex thing. You see the wizard is the instigator, the will for magical force, if you will. The mind of the wizard, er, or witch gives shape to the power they draw into themselves. Their body directs the energy, sending it into the wand, where it's focused." He selected another box and brought it out.

"This one is Australian Buloke with a hair from a Chimera's mane. Eight inches. Very... solid, you might say."

The universe's reaction was immediate. As the girl's small fingers closed around the grip, a heavy hum began. The tone dropped quickly, becoming a thing felt, rather than heard. Vibrations began permeating the little shop, setting everything occupying a flat surface to dancing. The old man plucked it back before the windows could shatter.

"Does this sort of thing happen often?" Reina asked as the other man put the wand away.

"You'd be surprised," Ollivander replied as he stepped deeper into the maze of shelves and boxes. "I can usually find a proper match within five goes. Perhaps this one..."

Regina took the wand and gasped softly. "It's warm," she looked up at the old man. Her chocolate eyes widened as the scents of vanilla and cinnamon entered the room.

"Very, very interesting." Ollivander looked up, apparently noticing the odors. "Slender willow, unicorn heartstring, though I would appreciate it if you didn't repeat that. Thirteen inches."

Regina shook herself and sheathed the wand in her sleeve as Reina had done. She hadn't even noticed that the sounds of the street outside had gone until they had returned. She looked back at her father. Her cheeks were flushed and she had no idea why. Reina looked at her curiously and then nodded as if confirming something.

"I think ten galleons," Ollivander said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

The sun was a dirty orange ball setting behind the leaning peaks of the Alley. The two girls were walking up the hill to the back door of the Cauldron, while the two men climbed a bit more slowly behind them.

"You know I could help you with more of that," Regina offered as they climbed.

"No. It's my kit, I'll carry it," Reina replied. She shifted the thick, knobby-handled broom that now served as something to hang her little cauldron and books from. "Thank you, though. Besides, you've already got Dilops to worry about."

"Yes, but she's _your _familiar, not mine." Regina reached up and gave the colorful lizard on her shoulder a scritch under the chin. "She is beautiful and, fond as she is of me, she loves you. I can tell. I wonder how your mother knew to pick her in advance."

"It's a gift, I suppose," Reina replied. "I'm surprised you didn't find anything though. Everything seemed to want your attention. I watched."

"Well, mother has some definite ideas about what a proper familiar is," Regina frowned slightly. "She wouldn't want me to have anything common." Her lips quirked upwards as the lizard on her shoulder began to give a vibrating little rumble. "Though she'd think dear Dilops is someone really special."

"Take her home." Reina said simply.

Regina's eyes widened. "I couldn't do that..." She stuttered herself to a stop before she could say _'she wouldn't be safe'._ "I mean she's yours, I couldn't impose."

Reina looked over, favoring her friend with another of her mysterious looks. Then she shrugged. "Up to you..."

Regina looked back to her father. At the back of the small pack the two men had gotten to talking amiably. She could easily hear them in the dying of the day.

"Lancashire's a long way away," Henry observed. "You could spend the night at Kylsley. Take the flu with us."

"No, I don't think so," Paulus' refusal held no rancor. "We've already reserved rooms tonight at the Cauldron. It'll be Reina's first night away since we got her..."

"...And you thought to ease her into it all," Henry finished. "Easier to bear a night from home if you're not far away."

"Something like that." He looked up the hill to catch sight of the girls.

"You're a thoughtful and kind man, Paulus," Henry clapped the man on the shoulder. "That girl could do much, much worse for a father. I just hope she appreciates how good she's got it."

Paulus shook his head and chuckled.


	4. Chapter Two and a Half

_Year of the Snake 2 1/2_

_DISCLAIMER: __Harry Potter is owned by someone far nicer than me. Ouat is owned by others as well. I own knothing, but am playing in their sandbox without intention of recompense._

**A/N: As usual, this is a Reina-centric chapter, so there's background for her here. It's not absolutely necessary for the story, but it will add depth. So, if you wish to read, thank you very much. If you don't ... I understand... *sniffle*.**

Chapter Two and a Half

The sun was still out there somewhere, behind the buildings, or more probably, behind the hills beyond. The sky was all indigo now, with a rapidly diminishing line of paler blue still peeking through a few scattered slouches in the lower roofs. Reina absently reached up to stroke Dilops' ruffled cheek. The world felt so different tonight.

When she'd first left the hills she'd been unsure, even afraid, of her ability to mix with people. True, Paulus had given her a whole year on the farm, teaching her to learn the basics before they'd even tried to go to the nearby village. According to him, she'd done well, learning how to walk and talk properly and perform the basic rituals, but after today she felt that she really had a chance of pulling off the first part of her mother's great plan. Now, in her new black robes, with a wand in her sleeve and a rather pretty frilled lizard wrapped around her shoulders, she felt like a real girl. A true student of Hogwarts. It was an amazing sensation.

The old man stumped back out through the tiny courtyard at the back of the Cauldron. "Get inside," he grumped wearily. "I want to eat and make sure we have the plan straight before bed."

"Can I have just a few more minutes?" Reina asked. She expected him to say 'no'. That had been the catchword for most of her requests. "I just like the air better out here."

"Five minutes." His hand descended firmly onto her shoulder. "I'll have our food ordered by then. If I have to get up and come looking..."

"I know," the girl replied happily. "I just want to breathe for a little while before I have to go back inside."

Paulus shook his head and rolled his eyes, but he left. A crescendo of voices accompanied the opening door and died when it closed again.

Even after all that had happened, something in the air still urged her to look back away to that one shop..._'Honeydukes,'_ she grinned. Paulus had only let her go in because Regina and her father had been with them, she was sure.

'_Regina. Regina.' _The name brought back the girl's broad smile, wide, warm eyes and cavern dark hair. _'I have a friend,' _she realized happily._ 'I have a real human friend,' _she shook her head in wonder. _'This has been the most amazing day.'_

She took one last, deep breath of Daigon air and stepped back into the courtyard. Three taps with the tip of her new wand set the brick wall dancing itself closed. A few yards further in, the back door resisted ever so slightly, but finally grunted open and Reina stepped into a dense, moist wall of ambience.

The air was a savory fume of cooked meat, spices, ghastly vegetables and even an herbal smoke that the girl hadn't experienced before. Everyone in the now crowded room seemed to want to talk to each other as loudly as possible, especially if they could do so while aimlessly wandering across the floor.

Reina frowned when she realized that couldn't see Paulus anywhere. The promise of entering the press to search for him made the girl lick her lips nervously. There were too many people and not enough space. Worse, she had no idea of which way to jump if something happened. The crowds of Daigon Alley had only really been bearable because Paulus had been right there and because Regina's conversation had been distracting. Here, she was in a box, surrounded by a crowd she didn't know and had no idea how to control.

Her wave of doubt triggered nightmarish barbs hidden in her memory and they lanced deeply, sending a chill to lick down her spine and steal the heat from the room. Normal human natter twisted itself into screams, shouts and gouts of fire from her last night in the hills. From the night she survived to be chosen. A nearby human... a man tilted his head back laughing, but she could only see her brother, strong Caius, leering, barring his fangs, ready to strike. Dying. She couldn't hear herself whimper.

Dilops' first cackling howl caused a few very real screams from one or two of the nearest female patrons. Her second was even louder, longer, higher. It killed every other voice in the room. Within seconds every eye in the place was on her and her splay-frilled familiar. She licked her lips again, almost waiting for the charge. Dilops hissed a challenge into the silence.

Across the room a chair grunted, summoning her eyes. Her tidal wave of fear smashed against the immutable stone presence of her tutor. Paulus stood, arms crossed, annoyance simmering in his eyes.

Reina sighed with relief and as she deflated, so did Dilops. As the girl began to make her way through the subdued crowd, the beast returned to its normal posture on her shoulder. In fact, it had begun to rumble contentedly in her ear. Paulus sat before she could reach him.

"Not good," the old soldier grumbled. He picked up his spoon and stirred angrily at this bowl of stew. "You're not supposed to attract all the attention you can."

"That wasn't my fault," Reina began. She glanced back at the surrounding crowd. Most of the people had already returned to their noise. "Dilops did it._ Mother_ bought him. If you don't like it, then you can take it up with her."

Paulus put his spoon down and looked across the table coolly. On any other day such an outburst would have had the belt coming. Instead, the old warrior watched the lizard ruffle its frill uneasily.

He took a long, thoughtful breath. "If you are discovered, the quest fails. If you fail, you die." His words were flat, simple. Granite hard in their truth. "I won't have to raise a hand, because your mother will incinerate you. Even if I was tempted, I know that I probably wouldn't be able to do anything anyway, because as your teacher, I will have already been killed. As would Gabrielle. As would Jenny. You see, your mother would feel that we had all failed in our task to educate you properly." He steepled his fingers, tapping the tips together. "She might even obliterate the village on general principal."

"It's not really fair, is it? All of it. Any of it." Reina shook her head. "Six years to find..." she looked around, searching for anyone that might be listening too closely. She decided not to take the chance. "I mean, it's only been missing for..."

"Life's not fair. You should know that better than anyone else." Paulus' retort cut her off. Then he too looked around to make sure he hadn't picked up any more unwanted attention. He gave up with a sigh. "You already know what you're going to do tomorrow. I've got a few more things for you to put in your new notebook, when we'll be sending owls and so forth, but you need to realize something right now. Playtime is over. All the little lessons, all the running around with Jenny in the woods, that's all done with." He reached across the table, putting his big, scarred hand over hers. "Tomorrow everything starts being real. You were born to do this and the sooner you get it over with, the better for us all."

"Tomorrow it's all real," Reina repeated unhappily.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

It was the weird texture of her pain that let her know that all this was really just a dream. Oh yes, the horrible pop of her shoulder going was something she'd never forget, but back then she hadn't had time to notice the awful sensation of the bone slipping meatily around its socket. Reina remembered agony; a blistering universe of pain that still made her shudder, at least when she was awake. Here, all that suffering was present but distant, as if it were happening to someone else.

Acrid blood, hotter than human, slashed across her face and naked flesh. Caius was above her, leaning into her little pocket among the stones, his mouth open, fangs exposed. Gloating. Suddenly the bright orange/gold eyes flashed surprise. Confusion. Then they went glassy and his head toppled unevenly forward, crooked on a shredded throat. Just like before, his body fell in, collapsing on top of her. The dream didn't take away the weight of her brother's corpse. If anything, he was heavier here, bearing down, crushing her beneath a hot, gushing weight.

Suddenly Caius' boiling blood turned to ice and Reina gasped, surging, waking, her mind spinning like a mad armillary. Reina gasped loudly, panted, jerking a hand up to her chest. The room was black and her merely human eyes couldn't see anything but the pale rectangle of the window. Her panic began to turn, ebbing like a tide when the amulet wadded itself between her fingers and the cotton sleepshirt Gabrielle had given her. The sleepshirt was soaking wet.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing, screaming out like that?" Paulus slapped the wash basin back down.

"I'm sorry," Reina's voice was a fearful, raspy whisper. "I was dreaming I was..."

"Dreaming's not going to cut it if you begin squealing like that at Hogwarts," the man cut her off with an angry hiss. "Those people will ask questions you can't afford to answer. Wizards are a snoopy lot. If they find out about you..."

"They won't," the girl's voice rose, harsh as his. "They won't find out, so stop." She threw the sodden bedclothes aside, reflex getting her ready to bolt in whatever direction she could. The dream tried to re-sink its barbs into her mind, to make her fear again. She shoved it away and forced herself to think clearly. "Even if they hear me, they won't suspect. You know it. Children have bad dreams."

He flung a gesture. "You're not exactly a child, though, are you?"

Atop the headboard Dilops hissed and opened her broad throat fans, aiming herself towards Paulus' shadow.

"Child enough for them."

It took effort for her not to lunge away as he took a menacing step forward, hand twitching to land a blow. He froze when Dilops sprang from the back of the bed, skittering to a stop between them. The familiar's mouth was still wide, but no sound came out. The sharp stink of Paulus' unexpected fear rolled across the room. The girl blinked in surprise.

"Don't try it." Reina finally managed. "It's too close to time for that now. How do you think a black eye will look on the first day of school? They'll think the bad dreams come from you before I can tell them anything at all. Wizards are a snoopy lot. They'll ask questions."

She saw Paulus' shadow sag. The air seemed to clear a bit as he forced himself calm. The tiny, instinctive thrill that swept up her spine told her she'd won something here, but for the moment there was no way to know what or how.

"What time is it?" Reina watched Dilops' frill begin to shrink. She reached out and took up the little beast, cradling it close.

"Three. Two hours before we need to start."

"Let's get ready now," she sighed. "I'm awake. So are you."

She stepped down from the bed, and picked up her familiar, soothing stiff spines with her fingers as he sighed hard and turned. Silent bare feet carried her to the diamond paned window. Nothing was stirring in the Alley yet.

"Mother will be pleased at our inishnative."

"Initiative." The big man shook his head as he left the room.

"Initiative," she repeated. "Initiative."

It was important to have the right words. Important that she listen when he corrected her. That was part of his job, after all. Mother had said so.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Reina stood and quickly smoothed her robe when Paulus came in. Her kit was laid out on the made bed, just the way she'd been taught back at the farm, and her uniform was perfect, as if she'd used Regina's charm. Even Dilops raised her chin and adjusted herself to show off on the girl's shoulder. The sun was up enough that, even with human eyes, she could see his wan smile clearly.

"Stand at your ease," he said. He walked over to the bed and gave it all a cursory glance. Then, to her surprise, he sat. "Listen. I'm sorry about this morning," he said. "Call it jitters if you'd like."

"Like last night when I came back?"

"Something like that," Paulus agreed. "Today's the big jump off and I don't know how it's going to go. I know that Gabrielle and I have done our best to teach you. Even Jenny..." he killed his growing emotion, masking it with a cough before strangling it completely. "We haven't been easy with you, I know. There wasn't time. But no matter what else happens, I want you to know that you've done well. You've trained hard and exceeded my expectations." There was a long pause as he wrestled a dark metal ring from his thumb. "I want you to have this."

Reina's eyes widened as handed it over. It fell in her palm, warm and surprisingly heavy.

"But this is..."

"The mark of the legion," he finished. "I got it from my father and he from his. You should know the stories as well as me by now."

She turned the old black ring over, caressing the worn, blocky runes 'LEG VIIII HISP - VEX BRIT'. "You never take this off. You always said it was to go to Jenny next."

"It will. When you bring it back." The smile he gave her was strange; 'good luck' and 'good-bye', proud and sad and... afraid. Heartbreaking somehow. "Your mother wanted us to train you, but we had no idea how. We don't have any use for wizards in Penhul Village. Instead, we trained you the way we were trained and the way we train Jenny. So I suppose you're one of us now."

He stood and gestured the same way he had every morning for many months. Reina pocketed the ring began packing up her kit while he spoke.

"So. As far as I'm concerned, you're on your first mission as a member of the Ninth." He nodded as he watched her order and pack up her things. "Since your thumb's so small put it around your neck with the other. I don't think anyone would mind. Just keep it secret. Understand?"

"Oh, I definitely understand secrets," Reina agreed.

When everything was packed, the girl's total bundle was two small suitcases, a backpack of books, a broom and a number ten cauldron full of ingredient bottles. Difficult to manage for one person, but possible. She was beginning to gather it all up when Paulus stopped her again.

"I won't get to say good-bye properly at the train, so we'll do it now," he said.

Reina kept her face still, even though her heart raced as he took a step back and formally clapped his right fist over his heart. None of them in the village did this for an outsider. Ever. It was _their_ thing. _Their_ salute. The ring in her pocket seemed to grow heavier. Her body moved reflexively, falling into a long practiced position of attention. Her fist mirrored his.

"Honor," he said.

"Honor," she returned. Their fists fell.

"Right then, get to work," Paulus gave a little grin as he chivvied her. "Your kit's not going to carry itself." His tone was impatient, but he took the two suitcases for himself as she shrugged into the pack.


	5. Chapter Two and Three Quarters

_Year of the Snake 2 3/4_

___DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. This wasn't done for profit. No infringement intended. Thank you great and mighty powers for letting me play in your sandbox._

**A/N: Have you noticed how short the fractional chapters are? Just trying to keep you guys centered on the chars you love. These are more like production notes, though I do put stuff in here that will pop up later. Next chapter will be back to the main story line, as will the one after that (which I am currently writing). Let me know how I'm doing, would you?**

Chapter Two and Three Quarters

It was dusk when the green flames died away and Regina stepped onto the hearth in the parlor of Kylsley House. The broad smile she'd been wearing collapsed the instant she saw her mother standing in the center of the room. A cold knot of fear twisted in her stomach when she saw her father standing beside and behind the woman, his head bowed, eyes fixed unhappily on the floor. Cora flicked her wrist impatiently and, before the girl could even leave the hearth, the first slap sounded in the room.

"Did you really think that I wouldn't find out about your little adventure?" Cora asked in an almost conversational tone.

Regina forced her features to be still, even though she could feel her cheek beginning to glow pain. She knew that this was going to hurt. It always hurt worse when her mother spoke quietly. She'd had time to stew. Time to become imaginitive. The girl stepped deliberately out into the room before she spoke.

"_Mundopurgium_," the slender willow-wand seemed to move with a grace all its own, sweeping the smudges of flu powder away.

"Answer me," Cora's voice lost a little more volume. "Did you think that I wouldn't find out that my daughter had nearly been kidnapped and then _rescued_ by some low-blooded yokel?"

"Cora, it happened so fast..." Henry began.

"Silence," the woman barked. "You and I will discuss this later. In private." Her hand twitched again and another slap rang against the plaster walls.

"I haven't had time to hide anything, mother," Regina replied. Part of her mind recoiled, almost stunned that she'd answered with anything even vaguely resembling defiance. "We just got back."

"So I see," Cora replied. "You were told to be back when you'd finished your errands, were you not?"

"Yes, Cora."

"Yes, mother."

The two spoke simultaneously, but Henry continued. "It's my fault really," he hurried to say. "I lost sight of her for a moment, then after the rescue, it seemed only right to offer the Selcouths some sort of reward..."

"Oh, I agree Henry," Cora hissed coldly at her husband. "This is your fault. You should have gone there and come back immediately, just as I asked. You should have kept our daughter on a tighter tether as well, but you didn't." She turned her angry eyes back onto Regina. "However, you're not the one in the position to change our fortunes. Regina is. It's not your name I have to hear at tea, wondering 'how your daughter managed to get herself kidnapped in Daigon Alley, of all places'."

Cora raised her off and like a claw, her right hand swirled and flicked her wand once. Across the room, Regina rose into the air and stiffened, bound by invisible chains. Her capture was so perfect that the little girl could barely breathe, nevermind cry out.

"A common witch must always be aware of what's going on around her," Cora growled. "You however are _not _common. I simply will not allow it. You have the added responsibility of the Mills name to protect and thus far you've done a pretty poor job of it."

Cora's turquoise dress whispered across the silence of the room as she approached. When she got closer, Regina noticed that even her eyes had a miasma of blue green swirling in her irises. The woman was terrifyingly gentle as she slipped the new wand from the girl's unresisting fingers. That softness disappeared like dew in a bonfire when Cora snarled and slashed the white wood across her daughter's paralyzed chest.

A black tsunami of terror swallowed Regina. The girl who lived behind a pair frozen brown eyes floated still and helpless as the physically delivered spell tore her clothes away. She couldn't twitch or murmur as the cloying reek of her mother's jasmine perfume filled her nostrils.

"Don't think that because you're going to Hogwarts tomorrow that you cannot be disciplined tonight." Cora whispered, inches from her daughter's face. "You must learn to accept your responsibilities. I _will_ teach you, if it's the last thing I do." She raised the tip of her wand so that Regina's eyes could focus on it. "_Cruciatus localis_."

"Cora, don't..."

A hard look was enough to silence and freeze her timid husband. When she looked back at Regina, she smiled and touched the green glowing tip of her wand to her daughter's cheek.

Behind the shell of her skin, Regina Mills began to scream.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Cool, feathery fingertips whispered over her blazing skin, numbing it. _'Ghoul touch,'_ Regina realized, even as she shivered. She rolled over to see a woman, the ghost of a woman really, sitting on her darkened bed, running her fingers lightly over her exposed arm and shoulder.

"She shouldn't do this to you," the woman whispered sadly. "No mother should ever harm her children. It's unforgivable. Vile." A spectral glimmer ran down her cheek.

"She wants me to be the best," Regina gulped at the hot coal in her throat. "I should be better, but somehow, I always make mistakes." The tears in her eyes were free to run now and she hated them. Hated herself for being weak and stupid. Hated the way Mrs. Stewart's hand was the one to take away her pain. Hated herself because she didn't want the ghost to stop. "I'm Regina Mills. I'm a witch. I should be better than all this."

"You're a little girl," Mrs. Stewart said. "You're a treasure just as you are." Her fingers wandered over one of Regina's cheeks, drawing out the agony encapsulating her skin, making her brown eyes close with relief. "One day your mother will realize that. I just hope she does before it's too late."

"Anne and Nicholas are so lucky," Regina breathed. "I wish you were my mother."

The touch stopped and Regina opened her eyes. The woman had shrunk away, a look of horror staining her fine features. There was a poof of silver fog and she was gone, leaving Regina in a dark, clinging cloud of anguish.

Regina sat up hurriedly. "Come back," she sat up, whispering hurriedly out into the dark. "Come back please. I'm sorry." A sob welled up in her throat. The coal had fanned itself into a flame of sorrow and her own tears began to rain down her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Her arms snaked out around her knees and the girl began to rock, chanting the mantra her mother had frozen within her breast. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Morning arrived. Regina was more than a little surprised that she'd missed it. Normally, after one of her mother's more profound lessons, the pain kept her from sleeping at all. Even now, there was pain in her shoulders and spine, but rather than needle sharp and agitating, it felt more like an old wound; something akin to a bit of old glass buried beneath an old scar. It was certainly not enough to keep her from her duties. Regina cast off the covers and stepped over to the wash basin.

Across the slipper sofa before her window, the house-elves had laid out her school things. There weren't any other options today and, truth be told she was a bit grateful. It often took an hour or more to try and find something that looked just so. The only thing she had to worry about this morning was her hair.

When she looked up into the oval mirror above the basin, she couldn't help but smile at the bushy madness that sat atop her head. _'I swear, when I get to school, I'm never ever combing my hair again.'_

Her mother's face swirled into view, obliterating her reflection. "Regina, do hurry up. The coach is already packed, but you've still got to dress and make yourself presentable. And breakfast is waiting."

"Yes mother, right away." That was the safest answer. Cora took it with a nod and disappeared.

If she hurried, she might be able to leave without any new criticisms. Mother would have spent most of her wrath last night. She'd be slow to build a new head of steam, but it was best not to challenge her. The girl hurried over to her clothes and took up her new wand, ready to charm them on. Then she noticed the Hogwarts crest on her robe.

"Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus," she smirked ironically and shook her head. _'Never tickle sleeping dragons,' _she translated. _'Indeed.'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Breakfast was short. As always. It was never something to enjoy, just something to get a body moving. It was a trick, eating hurriedly enough to suit her mother and yet maintaining necessary etiquette. The only drawback Regina had ever found was getting enough food to suit herself. She was currently wolfing a second piece of toast with jam as fast as proper manners would allow.

"Really Regina," her mother frowned, "Today is one of the most important days of your witching career and you're gorging yourself like... like something that gorges itself."

It was very hard not to smile at the woman's lack of wit, but the ache in her joints helped keep a properly subservient expression on her face. It also helped her not answer.

"Well, since you're obviously going to sit there and stuff yourself to the gills, I suppose that it's up to me to communicate today's plan to you." Cora waved her hand and the teapot rose to replenish her cup. "Yes, you're leaving today, but against my better judgment, I will not be joining you. Your father will be taking you to the station."

Regina dabbed her lips. "Oh no, mother?"

"No. I've got to go to tea with that awful Volgara Crabbe and attempt some damage control for your incident yesterday." A slightly more frenetic gesture flipped a dollop of milk into her cup. "Mark my words, Regina Mills, if you manage one more episode to sully me... our name, I will take you out of Hogwarts and talents notwithstanding, I will send you to Abberwythe's. They'll know what to do with you."

"That won't be necessary, mother. You'll see." She was reaching for a daring third piece of toast when her mother gestured the plate out of her reach.

"Oh for heaven's sake, go to the carriage, Regina. I'm tired of looking at you."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

It was unusual seeing so much of the house staff standing beside the Clarence, especially since three of the eight were transparent. Regina tilted her head curiously and approached.

"Good morning, Mrs. Mills." The girl nodded as the heavyset ghost curtsied. "Mrs. M."

"Oh good morning, miss," the house-elf bobbed his head. "We all wanted to say good-bye before you went away."

"That's very kind of you, Feegle" Regina smiled. "I'm sure I'll think of you all often."

"Very kind, Miss. Very kind," the rag-clad elf bobbed again.

"We also wanted you to know that you'll be missed," the old woman-ghost added, "and that we're all sure that this is the beginning of a wonderful new life."

"Aye," the long dead gardener nodded from his place beside the living one. "You'll be doin' great things. Great things indeed."

Regina couldn't help but smile at the ghosts' earnestness. If she could have, she'd have hugged him.

"I don't care, Henry Mills," the echo of Cora's voice prompted everyone who could to disappear. "You will not take all day with this. You go. You put her on the train and you come back immediately. I won't have another disaster like yesterday."

The woman emerged from the foyer in a huff of blue-green silk. Beside her, Henry nodded along, somehow guilty before he'd had the chance to err. She looked up and frowned.

"You," she gestured impatiently at the remaining staff, "you have things to do. Go do them. Now." The group bobbed and bowed hurriedly away as the pair approached. Her mother refused to even look at them. "Regina, come here."

The girl approached nervously.

"I meant to give this to you last night," Cora thrust a small, jeweled square at her, "but your misbehavior caused me to forget it."

Regina took the whatever-it-was and didn't know quite what to feel. The little object was squarish, gilt and engraved. Heavy. In the center of the top was a large, shiny opal. There was a clasp and when she opened it, she saw her own, somewhat confused reflection staring back.

"It's a mirror," Cora supplied, apparently unhappy that she had to state the obvious. "As you know one of our family's gifts is facility with them. I'll be using it to instruct you in the days to come. Doubtless, you'll need guidance when you get to school."

"Y-yes, of course," Regina nodded and put the little compact away beneath her robe.

"I expect to talk to you frequently," Cora said, "and this is the way to do it, since you couldn't be bothered to procure a familiar with the power of flight." She gestured Henry forward to open the coach door. "I can't have you making another hash out of something simple, Regina. Please behave yourself."

"I will mother. I won't disappoint you." She fought not to grin as her father helped her up into the padded cabin.

"See that you don't."


	6. Chapter Three

_YEAR OF THE SNAKE_

_DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but Reina and Paulus. This is not wrtitten to profit from either Once Upon a Time, or Harry Potter in any way. It's a product of my own febrile imagination, inteneded as amusement. That said, thank you great and mighty powers for letting play in your sandbox._

**A/N: Welcome back to the main part of the story.**

Chapter Three

The black iron engine was the largest machine she had ever seen. It huffed and hissed steam from strange places and gleamed in ways Regina Mills had never imagined anything so large and obviously muggle-made doing. Even as far away as she now stood, the coal smoke and vapor that stank of water in hot metal tubes seemed to fill the air like an aura. Somehow it struck her as magnificent, completely unlike the colored steel beetles of Charing Cross. It looked like something built by men and built to be controlled by them.

"Well, here we are," Henry spread his arm broadly at the almost sepia vista of the platform.

"It's amazing," Regina's voice held a touch of awe as she looked around the mostly empty station. The place was so much... more than she'd imagined. It was old-fashioned and new, ornate and industrial, functional and somehow artful all at the same time. "Does the rest of our world look like this?"

"Much of it," her father nodded. He gave the luggage trolley a shove to get them moving. "The muggle world is different, of course..."

"Oh look daddy," the suddenly excited girl pointed and bounced on her toes. "There's Reina and Mister Selcouth."

Henry looked over just as the two broke from their embrace. Reina stood straight, a smaller image of her soldier father, almost gave the impression that she was about to salute. Instead, she nodded once and turned, climbing onto the car without any help.

"Well, I suppose we know which one you'll be riding in, don't we?" Henry smiled.

"I-is that alright?" Regina looked up worriedly. "Mother... mother wasn't happy about the Selcouths..."

"I know, I know." Regina's eyes were already beginning to glimmer as he knelt and wrapped his arms around her. "I can't tell you not to listen to what your mother says," Henry Mills said as he held her in his arms, "but think of this; she's harsh because she wants you to be more than us. All parents do."

"I know, daddy," Regina squeezed tightly. "I try hard to do everything right. I really do, but sometimes..." she sighed. "Sometimes I know I'll never be good enough."

"Oh yes you will," he returned. He tapped her back so she could let go enough to let him kneel and look into her eyes. "I'll tell you something now. I'm glad you'll be riding with Reina. She's already demonstrated courage and honor. Stay by her. She'll be a good friend."

"But mother said..."

"I know. She doesn't believe that your friend and her father are worth knowing because their names aren't in the social register," Henry frowned, "But _you _need to decide who to value and why. And to help you decide, I'll tell you this." He looked seriously into her brown eyes. "You are what you do when it counts."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that no matter what clothes you wear, or what face you show the world, at some point you may to have to make a decision that could cost a person's life." His smooth, soft hand caressed her cheek. "If that time comes, you'll need to decide who to save and why."

"Like Diagon Alley yesterday," Regina nodded.

"Exactly. Reina and her father didn't know you from Adam's housecat. It wouldn't have cost them anything at all to leave you to your fate." Henry peered deeply, trying to impress her with the gravity of just how close things had really been. "They didn't. They risked whatever that scoundrel might throw at them in order to save a total stranger from harm. To my mind, that makes them much more worthy than most of the people in your mother's big book."

"I know you're right daddy, but mother was so angry that they had to save me yesterday," Regina lowered her eyes with a shudder. "I was supposed to be better..."

"I know that Cora can be strict, but you must always do things you know to be right and good. Always. You'll never go wrong, no matter what anyone else says. I'll bet Reina's father is very proud of what she did yesterday."

"I'll bet he his too." Regina threw her arms back around her father's neck and squeezed. "I'll always try to make_ you_ proud of me."

"I'm sure you will," Henry smiled. "Now, let's get this trolley to a porter and get you on the train. Okay?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Dilops gave her away with her happy grunts and bobs. Regina's face split into a grin anyway. She couldn't be angry with the pretty little beast, even if she had completely wrecked her effort to sneak into the car. When Reina looked up from her sheaf of papers, her silver/blue eyes fixed on Regina. The smile that grew on her dark face mirrored her own.

"I was trying to sneak in," Regina gave a mock huff and strode into the cabin. "Your little monster there gave me away." She pointed imperiously at the happily grunting creature. She couldn't help but laugh as Dilops leapt from the cushion and scrambled up her arm and over her shoulder. "Hello, little beast," she cooed, scratching the lizard beneath her chin, "did you miss me?"

"I think my mother bought your familiar by accident," Reina smirked.

"Hardly," Regina looked across to make sure that the other girl was joking. "I think Dilops is just a showoff and will pay court to anyone who pays her any attention."

"I think so too. If you like she can stay there," Reina nodded. "If not..."

"Oh no," Regina replied quickly, "I'm happy with her company."

There was a long pause as Regina delighted in the weird little purr the jeweled lizard gave. She giggled, relishing the soft thrum against her neck. Her eye caught on the book in Reina's lap, and that took her mind back to yesterday and Diagon Alley.

"I still can't believe that Gilderoy Lockhart was at Flourish and Blott's yesterday," Regina grinned as she ran her fingers across Dilops' spined neck. "I never thought I'd get to meet him."

"Lockhart? That pretty looking man who smiled a lot?" Regina answered Reina's question with a laugh and a nod. "I didn't really like him."

"What? Why not?" Regina asked.

"I don't know," Reina said thoughtfully. "I mean, I can easily see him as a writer, but not some great wizard," the dark girl replied. "He was very interested in himself."

"Well, not all of us can be selfless heroes," Regina smirked. She looked at the thick mass of papers in Reina's hand. "What are you doing?"

"Mother wanted me to have this book for my first year at Hogwarts," Reina replied. "It's a magical book that does a lot of things. This," she waved the papers, "tells me how to use it."

"What can it do?"

"Lots." Reina shook her head. "I can talk to it and it'll write everything I say. I can draw in it and it'll make a picture of what I mean, instead of whatever mess I put down. Best, it never runs out of pages."

"That's pretty amazing," Regina agreed.

"So far, I know how to open it, how to open it to certain sections whenever I put notes in it..."

"Hey! Here's one," a blonde boy called loudly from the door of the car. He looked in and grinned broadly. "Hi, I'm David. David Nolan." A laughing blonde girl collided with his shoulder. "Do you mind of we sit with you?"

Regina glanced over in time to see all the animation drain from Reina's face. She gave a little shrug. Regina copied her for a change and slipped on a mask of bored neutrality.

"Of course," she said coolly. "Please be our guests."

The pair sat tumbled in quite happily and were more than eager to share their excitement about leaving home from the first time and going to Hogwarts. The girl introduced herself as Katherine Griffith and while she wasn't quite as chatty as the boy, she was bubbly enough for both.

Apparently the blonde couldn't abide Reina's studying, because barely an instant later she got up and plopped down beside her. "So what's your name?" Ashley bubbled. "I'm Ashley, this is David."

Regina felt Dilops tense at the same time she saw Reina's jaw muscles bunch. "Her name is Reina Selcouth. Mine is Regina Mills," she announced coolly. "She's trying to study, so if you feel the need to bother someone, you may bother me."

"Well excuse us, I'm sure," David wrinkled his lip. "I didn't know we were in the executive coach."

"Well you do now," Regina replied coolly.

The little cabin remained quiet for some time after that. Eventually, Regina turned to watch the crowds growing on the platform outside while Dilops relaxed and returned to his basking purr beneath her fingertips. Reina read. The new pair shortly returned to their own private conversation and giggles. Suddenly, the train gave a banging lurch and somewhere up ahead, a high-pitched whistle blew. Another lurch shook the car and outside the soft thunder of quick footsteps grew.

"Sorry to bother you," a male voice panted, "but the train's about to go and all the other cars are full. Mind if we sit with you?"

Again, Reina acquiesced with a shrug and distracted grunt. Regina looked over to the pale, brown haired boy. Two others had ganged up around him, rocking with the lightly surging train.

"Great, thanks," the boy brushed his hair back with his fingers, strode in and flopped down next to Regina. "I'm Vic Whale, that's Killian Jones and Jeff Hatley."

"Jefferson," the last boy corrected.

Something in his tone made Regina look up. His brown hair was a bit wild and his robes seemed to be a bit askew, but it was his eyes that made her uncomfortable. He was looking at her so intensely, as if he were somehow imprinting her face on the surface of his brain. His lopsided smile grew wider when he saw her looking.

"My father's a haberdasher in Diagon Alley." He walked over and began to sit beside Regina without considering who was already there. The Nolan boy had to scoot aside before he had someone in his lap. "He's about to be made a partner at Twilfitt and Tattings. I can see from your robe that you've heard of it."

Apparently there was something about the boy that Dilops didn't like either. She flopped down onto Regina's lap and hissed, half extending her fan.

"Oh dear," Reina's tone held more boredom than worry. "Maybe you should move away from her. Slowly."

The boy sent an angry look across the aisle. "What, because of a lizard?"

"That's a micro-dilophosaurus," Reina replied without looking away from her papers. "They spit a poison acid before they attack. You can tell when they're about to go because they extend their frill." She shook her papers to firm them and get a better read. "From the little I've read, it's an aggression display. Of course, if you don't mind the flesh running off your skull, then by all means, continue to be a prat."

Regina worked hard to bury her grin beneath a smirk. It was harder still to restore her mask and raise a questioning eyebrow at the pushy boy. Jeff's reply was to reach for the wand at his belt.

The world slowed down for Regina. She saw the boy move, felt Dilops tense and inflate somehow. From the corner of her eye she caught the bright frill fully unfurl. Across the way Reina stretched her arm and her thick brown wand leapt from her sleeve.

"Don't," Reina said in a quiet voice. "They're both my friends."

"Hey, hey, hey," David rose. "There's no need..."

An icicle exploded within Regina's chest and the cold ran down to her fingertips. "STOP!" she commanded in a voice too firm to be her own. "Every one stop." The world froze.

"Mister Hatley, move away slowly. Now." Regina commanded. The boy kept his eyes on Reina as he began to comply.

"Reina, please put your wand away." The dark girl waited until Hatley was a full pace away before she raised her arm and let the wand slip inside.

Her stroking fingers quickly soothed Dilops, who gave a final little grunt and lay down on her lap. "Now, ladies and gentlemen," she continued in a tone fearfully reminiscent of her mother's, "manners exist so that people can deal with each other in a polite, if not pleasant way. So, before anyone can get themselves cursed, showered with acid, or something equally unpleasant, I suggest we all begin to use them."

Everyone seemed a little surprised when she offered them a small smile. "I think proper introductions are in order. My name is Regina Mills. Our family is from Cardiff. My mother hopes that I'll be put in Slytheryn House, but honestly any of them are fine with me, just as long as I can learn something useful." A little grunt sounded from her lap. "And this is Dilops. She's really Reina's familiar, but for some reason she likes sunning herself on me."

David chuckled as the ice broke. Regina nodded to him to continue.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

It took nearly two hours for the circle to continue back around to Reina. David had been brief, as had Katherine, but when the turn got round to the boy who sat on the floor, brevity disappeared.

Jefferson Hatley had gone on. And on. And on. The dark haired girl that had started the ball rolling had rapidly grown bored with his endless wind and, good manners or not, she'd begun staring out the window, preferring the rolling hills and rhythmic clack-clack of the rails to his self important drone. He had to have wound down at some point, because when Regina finally turned her attention back Whale was saying something about Professor Snape and Slytheryn. She actually did try to pay attention after that, but it wasn't the easiest thing ever.

"So, my mom was a Hufflepuff and my dad was a Ravenclaw," the slender boy said. He elbowed the dark skinned girl. "What about you, Reina, that's your name right?"

"Is your question about my name, or my parents?" The dark skinned girl asked without bothering to look up from her book.

"Well your folks, duh," the thin haired boy replied with a roll of his eyes. "I obviously know your name."

"My mother has decided to send me to Hogwarts," Regina replied. "She was never in any of your houses."

"Well was she a Beauxbaton, or something?" Jones chimed in. The boy didn't wait for an answer before murmuring to one of the others; "this one's snotty enough to be one of them, ain't she?"

Reina sighed unhappily, lowered her papers and fixed her eyes on the fair haired boy. "My people come from the Pennines. Lancashire, near Pendle Hill. It was a small farm, with sheep. I have no brothers or sisters. Satisfied now?"

Four of the six jaws in the car dropped. Reina's glance flickered across the wide-eyed mob and stopped on her Regina's. The other jaw that refused to drop was hers. It was certainly a shock discovering that her friend might be connected somehow to the most famous witches in England, but somehow she didn't want to display such a high emotion on something Reina made so little of.

"Bloody hell, are you related to them? The Pendle Witches, I mean," Jones asked, more excited than frightened.

"No," Reina shook her papers again and returned to her reading. "As far as I know, I am neither Device nor Chattox, Demdike nor Whittle."

Hatley recovered first. "You sure seem to know a lot about them for someone not related."

"Well that would only make since, wouldn't it?" the olive skinned girl broke in with a tone of smooth authority. "If she's from the Southern Pennines, then she should know the local history, wouldn't you say?"

"Blah, blah, bl-bl-blah." The boy's mimic made the others giggle and earned him a friendly shove on one shoulder.

An angry smirk began to form on Reina's lips and she was about to say something else when David leapt to his feet. "Holy cow," he cried out, pointing.

Regina jerked her head back towards the world to see a faded blue motor carriage roll out from under the rail bridge and climb up into the cloudy sky. She shook her head as if to clear it and glanced back to her friend. Reina seemed as amazed as she.

"Are those supposed to do that?" Reina asked.

"Not generally," David replied. "Cars usually stay on the ground."

"Looks like a good pilot though," Whale nodded.

"Perhaps," Reina nodded. "I don't know how those are supposed to move. It seems to be bobbing a bit, like he can't stay level. He could just be lucky."

Then the car rolled towards them and the nearer door fell open. Katherine screamed as a boy in a red sweater spilled out into the void.

"Looks like his luck just ran out," Hatley said.

There was frantic effort, both from the hanging boy and the red-haired one who seemed to be driving. They scrabbled, tugging at each other. The dark haired one swung his legs, trying to climb the empty air. Time drew itself out, each second taking so much longer than it should, until finally, the boy managed to climb back inside.

"I don't think they know what they're doing," Reina observed as she watched the vehicle pull ahead of the train.

"I wonder who they are," David said.

A little growl from Dilops made everyone realize just how much they were packed up around her. Regina buried a little smile as they backed away.


	7. Chapter Four

Clark page 23

YOTS chapter 4

The train wheezed and screeched to a stop at a nighttime depot in a tiny little town and everyone began tumbling out. Regina and Reina had somehow established a silent agreement to wait quietly while the others in their car joined the growing mob outside. Reina said nothing about Dilops climbing up onto her friend's shoulder while she folded up the half read sheaf of papers and closed them inside her battle-hardened book. When they left, they did so with the final trickle of older students, followed only by the old conductor.

Reina took the platform first, hopping down and looking left and right before looking back to give Regina a little nod and a hand down. The adrenaline thrumming through her veins made it difficult for Regina to fight a growing urge to gawp a bit at all the surrounding noise and bustle. It was odd, but though they were surrounded by a chaos of students lost and students who had some idea of where they were going, porters, luggage carts and night, the Pendle Hill farm girl seemed steady as a rock.

"First years over here please," a rural sounding voice boomed above the din. "First years, over here."

The voice of authority pulled Regina's eyes towards the front of the landing. They widened when they found the source. Up there, near the steaming engine, stood the largest man she'd ever seen. An instant's curiosity sent a glance to her friend. The dark-skinned girl's reaction was similar, but somehow different too. She was easily as wide-eyed, but there was an air about her almost like that of a stray cat; she seemed unsure as to whether she should attack or run away. Regina covered her mouth as she pictured the girl turning herself sideways and hissing.

"He's a half-giant," Regina supplied when she found her tongue. "That's what my mother told me, anyway." Dilops leapt to her mistress' shoulder as Regina leaned closer to speak in her ear. "She's not happy with so many non-humans at Hogwarts, but my father thinks it's perfect. He says it adds to the experience of the place."

"Now, now, calm down, calm down," the huge man raised his wide hands in a placating gesture. "I hope you lot had something to eat on the train, because it'll be a bit longer before the admissions feast. There's the sorting ceremony first." He raised his hands again against the rising grumbles. "Now, now, calm down, everyone, calm down."

"He certainly does like repeating himself," Reina whispered. Her words earned her a cautionary squeeze on the forearm and she looked over to catch Regina trying to pinch off a grin.

"Tonight we'll be taking the boats across Black Lake, so if you'll all follow me," the big man turned and lead the way with a ponderous lope. His final, over-the-shoulder "This way" brought brief giggles from the two girls at the back of the pack.

The two walked along quietly together for a moment and the sussurus of the others began to penetrate Regina's thoughts in an odd way. She realized that, in a very real sense, she was alone for the first time in her life. She glanced over at the stoic girl beside her, but Reina had eyes more for their surroundings than for her.

'_I'm alone.' _Just thinking the words sent a chill down her spine.

She'd never been alone at home. Her life had been mother and daddy, staff, tutors. Even in the deeps of the night, there were the ghosts; Nicolas and Anne might wake her to play, or Mrs. Stewart was there to soothe her fears or pains after she'd disappointed mother once too often.

'_Reina may have saved my life yesterday, but what happens now?'_

"I think it would be good if we became friends," Regina blurted hopefully. She wasn't encouraged by the odd expression Reina returned. She swallowed and continued. "Allies, if you will. We're both very small fish in this pond. It might be useful to have someone about to help with whatever challenges lie ahead. So far I know I can depend on you."

Reina looked forward, then down, then forward again as if she were weighing something. "Being a half-giant would account for his size," Reina nodded towards the big man. "I wasn't aware that Hogwarts catered to... nonhumans."

Regina swallowed and turned her own eyes to the front. The other girl's non-refusing refusal almost hurt, almost like some kind of betrayal. Worse still, she couldn't figure out why. It took a momentary effort to recover her voice.

"Catering is perhaps the wrong word," Regina sheltered herself behind all the years of Mother she'd been forced to endure. "There haven't been any nonhuman students in years. Mother's main worry is that so many of the human ones are really the wrong sort. You know; weak blooded, with no desire to improve their apparent destiny."

Reina hmmed thoughtfully. It was a nice, noncommittal noise that made Regina a little more uncomfortable. She found herself rattling on anyway.

"There are a number of nonhuman professors, but don't worry, Mother says that they've all been properly instructed on their duties. Besides, it's not as if the board of regents would allow anyone who's a real danger into the presence of their most precious resource." The chuckle she gave sounded false, even to her.

"Most precious resource?" Regina asked.

"Of course, dear. Us."

"So I'm a precious resource too." Reina frowned unhappily. She looked down and remained silent for a few short moments. "You were saying something about nonhuman staff? Who are they?"

"There are several. I did some research before I came here. Didn't you?"

"I follow my mother's commands. It's stupid to do otherwise," she couldn't keep a faint shudder out of her voice. "I didn't want it to seem like I was questioning her."

"Ah. Yes." The olive-skinned girl nodded knowingly. "My mother is rather strict as well. But back to your question. Yes, there are a few nonhuman staff, but to use..." she made quotation marks with her fingers, "...correct terms, they generally prefer to be called 'demi-humans'."

"Demi-humans?"

"Yes. What do you call them in Lancashire?"

Reina clamped down, obviously fighting not to say the first thing that wanted to erupt from her mouth. "We call them by what they are. Gnomes, goblins, whatever."

"Oh no, no, no," Mills laughed out loud for a moment before remembering to quiet herself with a hand over her mouth.

"What's funny?"

"Goblins are not demi-humans, my dear. They're humanoids. Lower down the food chain, you see. You mustn't ever let one of the dems hear you comparing them so. They might work themselves into an absolute snit." The olive skinned girl looked around to see if anyone had overheard. Fortunately all the others seemed to be lost in their own conversations. "Brownies, gnomes and even sylphs are all demi-humans. Trolls, goblins, hobs, et cetera are all humanoids. It's easiest to remember if you think of a pyramid with humans at the top. One step down is demi-humans. At the second step are humanoids; goblins, hobs, et cetera, then apes and monkeys, then monsters, then regular beasts like horses and what-not."

They reached an irregular, narrow stone staircase that forced the nattering mob into a tighter group. The pair looked around and seemed to silently agree to take a place at the very end of the line.

"So where are dragons on your pyramid?"

"What, like horntails and so forth?" Regina asked. "They're very powerful magical beasts. Just one step down from humanoids, but much higher than mundane animals. Why a single dragon could shred, cook and eat a whole herd of elephants if it wanted to." Regina tilted her head tilted thoughtfully. "Of course, they would go through any number of higher creatures as well, wouldn't they? But the pyramid is based on intelligence, tool use and the like. I suppose that's why all the legends have the knight winning. Thumbs and reason trump claws and instinct."

Reina nodded but said nothing.

"But, to return to your question," Regina said as they walked along, "there are only a few nonhuman staff members. Professor Flitwick has often been called a gnome, and he doesn't deny it, but according to Mother," she dropped her voice to a whisper, "he's really a half-goblin."

Reina looked over without speaking.

"Then of course, there's Mister Hagrid," Mills nodded towards the large man who seemed only to grow larger as they approached. "He's the groundskeeper, gamekeeper, keeper-of-keys and fellow who generally doer of jobs that keep him outside. Mills paused thoughtfully. "There is one other, but I'm not sure where he'd fall..."

"Oh yes?" Regina asked.

"Professor Binns. He's the History of Magic professor, but I'm not sure he counts."

"Why is that?"

"Well, he was human enough when he died, but now he teaches the class as a ghost." The olive-skinned girl's tone was thoughtful and reflective. She glanced over out of the corner of her eye to see what her new ally's reaction might be. "You're not afraid of ghosts, are you?"

"Hm? Oh no." Regina replied off handedly.

As the boats drew themselves silently across the dark water, Hogwarts rose like a mountainous, granite island from depths of the lake. The sheer scale of something so big, whether built by magic or by the efforts of men, stunned loud voices, forcing everyone in the lamp-lit boats to whisper their awe.

The pair in one of the trailing boats was silent. Reina had said nothing since climbing in, though she didn't seem to be afraid of the deep black water. Regina, feeling that she'd made some unannounced mistake, didn't have the heart to press matters. They were almost halfway across when she spoke.

"It's amazing, isn't it?"

"It is." Reina nodded.

"Reina?" Regina asked in a timid voice, "is something wrong? Have I said, or done something to offend you?"

"No." The dark skinned girl looked ahead to the huge building. She stayed silent for a while, but eventually spoke in a very low voice. "I just don't think you really want to be my friend."

"What?" Regina looked over, incredulous. "Why would you say that?"

"Your mother wouldn't want you to be friends with me." The dark skinned girl didn't look over, so she couldn't see the hurt expression growing on Regina's face.

"What?" Regina blinked.

Reina looked over and the pain in her eyes was obvious. "I'm not like you... I-I don't come from the same places, I don't know the same things. I don't even act the same way. I don't know how to."

"Is that what this is about?" Regina asked. She looked quickly to the other boats, making sure she hadn't been too loud. "Listen, I know I'm from a privileged family, but that's not important to me. What is important is that you were there when I needed you most. You saved my life yesterday, Reina Selcouth, not my family's money or standing. I've already trusted you with my life and you didn't let me down." She looked around again. "I just want the chance to prove you can trust me."

Reina offered a shy smile and looked away. "I have a lot of secrets." She looked back. "I will be your ally, if you want, but I don't think it would be good for you if I were your friend."

"Let me worry about that," Regina's face glowed with a strange hope. "Everyone has secrets and to prove it, I'll give you one of mine for free."

The dark girl looked back, tilting her head curiously.

"There's a rumor that the sorting hat will put you in whatever house you ask it to. Mother wants me to ask to be put in Slytherin." She shrugged. "I don't want to go into that one, all my mother's friend's children are there. I think she wants me to spy on them."

"I'm going Ravenclaw," Reina whispered. She looked around as well. "Paulus and Mother both think I'd be selected for Slytherin, but I don't want to go there either."

"But if you go to a different house, we can't talk as much," Regina frowned. "I don't want to be alone. I don't want to be around people like my mother."

"We'll figure something out..."

The boat bumped to a gentle stop behind another at the little stone quay. The huge berg of Hogwarts towered above them, demanding awe and getting it. The rest of the suddenly silent mob had already disembarked and reassembled to stand in a cowed cluster near the foot of a wide moonlit stair. Regina was the first to tear her eyes away and she stepped out holding her hand down. Reina took the hand, stepped out and was almost instantly recaptured by the scale of their new home.

"All right, everyone come over here please." Hagrid's voice broke the spell and the girls scampered over with self-conscious smiles. "We'll be going up Stingbat's Stair to the main entry. On the way we'll meet Professor McGonagall, who will take you into the opening ceremonies. So follow me."

"Well, it's really beginning," Regina said anxiously.

"You sound as nervous as I feel."

"I suppose I am." It took a few more steps for her to marshal the words she needed. "This is a big change for me. Before this, coming to Hogwarts didn't seem real. Now it is."

"I can see how one of those... other people might be a bit overwhelmed," Reina voice offered in a false hauteur, "but not you. You're above all this." She took Regina's arm in her own. It was a heartfelt, if clumsy gesture. "You can tell me the same thing in a few minutes when I need to hear it."

Regina found herself smiling despite her fears. With the smile and the unfamiliar sensation of physical reassurance came new calm, came confidence. She found herself breathing easier, holding her head a bit higher and more importantly, acting like the lady her mother had tried so hard to make her.

Mister Hagrid stood aside, gesturing and pointing the way deeper into the high, wide foyer. Iron braziers shed a warm, friendly light on fluted columns and the heavy, but elegant architecture of the castle.

"Students, this way." The woman who called to them from the landing was even older than her father and somewhat prune-faced, but she spoke with self assurance and while her voice was commanding, it didn't sound cruel at all. "Please come over here." The robed horde climbed the wide steps like a murmuring tide, stopping only at the old woman's gesture. "In a few moments we will be entering the main hall, where you will be sorted into your respective houses. There are four; Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin."

Even from their place at the back of the crowd Regina could easily distinguish the nuances in the woman's speech. There was something about the way this one said 'Slytherin' that left no illusion about her feelings.

"While you're here your house will be like your family..." That thought made the dark skinned girl shudder... "Your triumphs will earn you points, but any rule breaking will cost you points."

'_That's it?'_ shock erupted in Regina's mind like a firework. She stared up, all but aghast at the woman on the stairs. _'No punishments? Just points?'_ She was so stunned only the words 'house cup' managed to penetrate her daze. It took an act of deliberate concentration to cut through the fog of wonderment as the witch above continued.

"The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily." The old woman nodded to the mass and stepped away.

"My mom's told me that I'll be Slytherin," Jefferson Hatley's voice oiled back into their ears. Somehow he'd managed to find them, even in the back of this great herd. "All the best families are Slytherin, you know."

"I'll probably go Slytherin too, but I wish I weren't," Regina replied almost casually.

"Oh?"

"Too obvious. _My_ mother believes that the connections I'll make there will be useful, that there will be more opportunities for... advancement..."

"And you don't?" the boy asked.

"Everyone's always suspicious of Slytherin. No one trusts them. I think I might go further if no one knew who they were talking to." A quick glance caught the broadening of the other girl's amused little smirk. "I suppose that I'll have to secure agents, so that I can know what's going on in the other houses."

The old witch returned. "Children, it's time. Follow me." The mass began to follow her up the stairs and through a pair of wide doors.

An ocean of floating candles cast a friendly yellow glow on Regina's upturned face. Beyond them loomed the stars and clouds of the night sky. Looking up and wondering why hot wax wasn't dripping down was an altogether more pleasant prospect than contemplating the rows and rows of robed people to either side. Her hand sought out Reina's, and when she found it, the girl grabbed her in an almost painful grip. She looked over and saw the rigid mask her face had become. Apparently she wasn't the only one who was uncomfortable being stared at.

"They want us to think magic is fluffy and gentle. Kind." Reina's quiet voice held a thread of bitterness. "They think that because we're young, we can't know the truth."

"The truth?"

"That magic is nothing but directed force." There was a pause as the girl seemed to order her thoughts. When she spoke again there were different notes buried in her words, though Regina couldn't fathom them. "It's the same for the muggles and their machines, I guess. It's all about force. All about who's the victim and who's not."

"My Mother wouldn't put on such a show... not without purpose," Regina's soft words cracked Reina's mask and she felt her friend's grip lighten slightly. "She's always telling me that it's foolish to let anyone know what you're capable of until the time is right."

"Oh, this has its purpose. It's to awe us, to show us who the real masters are here and how completely they wield their power." Reina looked over. "That's what my mother would say, anyway."

Further conversation was stopped by the voice of the old woman at the head of the pack. "Before we begin, Professor Dumbledore has a few announcements he would like to make."

Regina caught glimpses through the massed heads of an opulently robed man standing at the front of the assembly. When he spoke she could have sworn there was a century hidden in his voice.

"I have a few start of term notices I wish to announce," the truly ancient man began. "The first years will please note that the Dark Forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Despite our best efforts, we might not be able to reach one of you in time to save you from a fate that, if not worse than death, will certainly be equal to it."

_That_ caused an appropriate amount of murmuring, Regina noticed.

"Also this year, we have a new professor of the Dark Arts," the old man held his arm out towards a line of half hidden heads behind him. "May I present Mister Gilderoy Lockhart."

"Thank you, thank you," a full voice sounded through the room. "Thank you, Professor Dumbledore. It's both an honor and a pleasure to be among you."

The women and older girls in the room began to sigh and she joined them. His handsome smile seemed to reach out and embrace the whole room and his voice was warm. Reina destroyed the moment with a whisper.

"How can you respect someone with such a strange frill of hair?"

"Oh come on," Regina whispered back. "Haven't you read his books? He's a great adventurer and a very powerful wizard. We could do much worse for a dark arts instructor, believe me."

"I think he's a prat."

At the front of the room, the headmaster returned to his place and said a bit more, though neither girl was really paying attention. The first name was called, and as tradition dictated, it started with an 'A'. They had time.

"Professor Lockhart's not from one of the old families, I grant you," Regina said. "Still, he's exactly the sort that other mixed bloods should use for an example. I mean, he comes from no special family, yet here he is, a famous author and a professor. He's what my father would call 'a goer and a doer'."

"Your father doesn't mind mixed bloods?"

"Not so much. Mother is a great believer in lineage and tradition," Regina shrugged. "My father, on the other hand, has a saying; 'we are what we do when it counts'." She frowned at something before adding, "My father's a great one for sayings."

"What do you believe?" Reina asked.

"Both, I suppose." She gave a long look around to see if there were any possible Slytherin about to spy on what she might say next. "Lineage is a useful indicator of future behavior and tradition is what glues our world together, on the other hand, anyone can have the seed of greatness in them. Look at Professor Lockhart."

The pair was hushed by a thin faced older boy who wore Gryffindor colors on his tie. Eventually 'M' came before 'S', just as it was supposed to, and Regina found herself climbing the very short flight of stairs to the lonely chair and the ministrations of a rather ratty brown leather hat. Mother taught her to sit gracefully and she tried very hard to look comfortable under the weight of all those stares.

She felt the power of the hat ooze across the surface her mind as it was lowered onto her crown. A slow quiet fear had begun to crawl over her flesh, and she worried that it might try to read her thoughts.

"Interesting," the hat graveled thoughtfully. "I've never had one..."

"I should like to be put in Slytherin House if you please," the girl broke in.

"Slytherin, eh?" the hat murmured, instantly derailed. "You've the perfect mind for Gryffindor, you know. Even Ravenclaw. Powerful. Quick. More powerful than anyone else suspects, I'll wager."

"I'd rather go to Slytherin, if you don't mind," Regina's words were prim, but on a hidden level she hoped that the hat would send her anywhere else. "My mother says it's important for me to go there."

She felt the hat nod, which was weird, before it spoke again. "You're the second one," the hat observed mysteriously. "He's a power, you know. A Gryffindor as well. His choice has placed him in an important..."

"Please. Slytherin."

The hat seemed to huff and pout. "Very well," it ground, "better be SLYTHERIN!"

The crowd at the far right table clapped and cheered, almost managing to sound sincere. Regina put an equivalent smile on her face as the hat was lifted away. As she strode coolly towards her new house, she looked over trying to spot Reina, but the girl was hidden by taller students. She marched on, stopping at the nearest void in the crowd.

"Go to the back," a bulky boy with ugly teeth jerked his head towards the opposite end of the long table. "You sit with the other removes.

The girl tried not to blush at the abrupt treatment and marched crisply to the end, where other familiar faces awaited her. It took effort not to roll her eyes as Hatley smirked and Jones pasted on a somewhat ferret-like smile. She couldn't hide her frown as she sat. They'd arranged it so that she'd have to sit next to one of them. She chose Jones. He was merely annoying. The wild haired boy made her nervous.

Regina listened to the maunderings of the rest of her new classmates with only half an ear while she watched the rest of the proceedings. The ceremony itself was pretty boring; Professor McGonagall would call a name and someone would go up, then the hat would shout something. There would be cheering and the newly created whatever would go to their seat. It wasn't long before the only person she knew was called.

"Reina Selcouth."

The dark-skinned girl climbed the steps with the perfect pace of a metronome, turned and sat. It wasn't long before the hat shouted out 'Ravenclaw'.

Regina smiled.


	8. Chapter Five

_YEAR OF THE SNAKE_

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but my own characters. As for tthe rest, I'm standing on the shoulders of giants and NOT intending to steal their thunder. I can't steal J.K. Rowlings, she's too awesome. As for the OUAT writers; if I could, I would. Regina deserves so much better than a bratty kid and a bunch of jerks with a moral get out of jail free card. Just sayin'.

**NEW A/N: (9/24/13) Chapter 5 is back, obviously. I just wrpeed it up tonight, about three hours ago. (It's 2.30 am here). I rewrote the second half of the chapter for more emotional content. I also felt that the ball was either rolling too fast, or not rolling fast enough, so I fiddled with it. I'm not taking it down again. (Truth be told I'm sorry I did the first time, but I'm not used to serializing yet and I thought I left a few holes. Expect Chapter 5 1/4 soon. As before, it's background notes. Sort of. It's not the main story line, but I wanted it in to generate both questions and answers).**

Chapter 5

Morning came with a bit of a shock. She'd 'slept hard' her father would say; slept deeply enough not to move, or even to dream. Such slumber was weighty and forgetful and didn't let go easily. Unfortunately for Regins, as long as she could remember, her mother had always been adamant about waking early. Now her fearful instincts were commanding her to follow the ancient mandate. It took effort to breathe deeply. She immediately wished she hadn't. There was a damp smell that didn't belong in her bedroom. It was that odor that brought her back. She was not expecting to open her eyes to green crushed velvet instead of her normal, more florid duvet.

A brief paralyzing fear fisted in her chest, denying her frightened gasp. _'I'm not at home any more.'_

Everything was dark and the air was very cool. Large, heavy shapes seemed to solidify from indistinct shadows and here and there, the unfamiliar stone walls gave off a wet twinkle. Early morning light, more blue green than grey, fell into the room, giving her just enough to see that the window was tall and narrow. And there was a sound... A brushing. The soft leathery sound had the aspect of stealthy footsteps. She bit her lip to pinch off a whimper.

'_Snatcher,' _her fear whispered.

"'Its a lot of 'em like that, it does," a sandy voice eeled from the shadows beneath the bed and into her ear.

"W-who's there?" she whispered.

When no answer came, she peeked timidly over the edge of the mattress to see a wrinkled, drooping old creature with sallow skin, wrapped in a dirty bit of cloth. It took her a moment to realize that the shriveled old prune was a house elf. The crabby creature glanced sullenly up over shoulder.

"Crebbins," it coughed. "You're an early riser. Not a beater are you?"

"A beater?"

"Don't know what a beater is," he shook his head as he put a freshly shined shoe down and picked up the other. He grumbled to himself. "Probably worse then. A burner."

The words made absolutely no sense to her, so she decided to try another tack. "You're a house elf, aren't you?"

"I'm _the_ house elf." His baleful eyes slid back to her, then down to the shoe. He spat on it and started brushing away. "The one for Slytherin anyway."

'_Slytherin.'_ The word made her sag and smile involuntarily. _'I'm at Hogwarts...'_

She took a long calming breath and, not wanting to seem rude, spoke again. "Do all the houses have elves?"

"Says it like it's a bloody infection," he frowned. His voice gave the shrug his shoulders wouldn't. "Used to. Couldn't say now. Haven't been past the common room door in fifty years."

"What?" The girl's demand was loud enough to cause some stirring in one of the nearby beds. She instantly lowered her voice and hung her face over the edge of the bed. "What do you mean you haven't been out of Slytherin for fifty years? How you have convocation?"

The wrinkled old elf stopped and looked over, surprised. "Knows a bit about house elves, don't she?" To her he grumbled out; "No convocations. Haven't seen any of the others. Not since..."

Something dark flapped by and clapped off the wall, startling the girl. Crebbins vanished.

"Shut up talking over there," a girl hissed. "Some of us are trying to sleep."

The venomous hiss made Regina blink. For an instant, she could hear a much younger version of her own mother in the anonymous first year. She shivered, sighed and hurriedly flipped the duvet off, wondering if the Great Hall was ready this early.

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"...And then he said that he hadn't had convocation in more than fifty years," Regina said incredulously.

"What's a convocation?" Reina asked.

"It's..."

"It's a party of sorts," an oily voice replied from behind.

The girls looked back to see Whale and Hatley approaching from the nearest archway. The boys, taking their shared glance as some sort of acquiescence, joined them as they walked across the courtyard towards a mass of broom wielding first years.

"As I recall from my uncle, there are four major ones every year and they correspond to the phases of the moon, or some such," Whale continued, oblivious to the girls' frowns. "Then there are four minor ones in between. Quite important from what he said."

"Hey, that's a funny..." Hatley reached out towards Reina's broom...

"You look with your eyes, not your hands," the dark girl pulled the knobby stave out of his reach.

"What?" he demanded. "I just wanted to see what's going on with that stupid looking broomstick. It looks like it's got warts or something."

Whale laughed.

"You want to see it up close, funny guy?" She jabbed him in the chest with the bulbous tip.

Hatley slapped it away and she drew back for a real thrust, but Regina's hand stopped her. "Don't." She looked over to the scowling boy. "Go away, Hatley, before things become unpleasant."

"Alright you lot," a brisk older voice sounded nearby.

The small group looked back to see a rather stern looking woman in shirtsleeves and riding togs striding across the oddly ribboned grass towards them.

"This bloody idiot was going to attack me," Hatley pointed at Reina. "She..."

"I'm sure she was," the woman replied impatiently. "Perhaps you should join the others, where you'll be safe. As for the rest of you, go on now. Hurry up." She herded them up towards a larger group, and then, still some distance away, began chivvying that larger mass into two parallel lines.

"I'm your teacher for flying class." Her glossy black boots carried her across the grass, parting a few stragglers along the way. "My name is Madam Hooch." When she reached the front, she made a crisp about face, set her fists on her hips. "Understand that you've quite a lot to learn and you must learn it well. Failure in this class may not simply mean a bad mark. It could mean pain. Injury. Possibly even death. So pay attention." She frowned fiercely until everyone had stopped footling.

"Drop your brooms beside you." There was a muted clatter and she gave a single, jerking nod. "Good. Now, extend your right arms, palm downward, and in a clear, confident voice, command your brooms to rise with the word 'up'."

Regina grinned confidently and held out her hand. It took only one try and the gleaming black staff of her new Nimbus responded, snuggling into her palm like a happy pup. Around her, more than a few of the others were already getting impatient and beginning to bark at their brooms. Reina was, of course, completely the opposite of everyone else. She kept her voice low, but her tone was growing harder and harder.

"Reina?" Regina whispered. "Pretend it's already happened and it will."

The dark girl's brow furrowed a bit, but she nodded. She closed her eyes and took a breath, and then gave the command as though it were an afterthought. Her broom rose almost buoyantly. She grinned over, flushed with success.

It took a quite few more minutes for everyone else to succeed and when they eventually did Madam Hooch was ready. "Very good. Now mount your brooms." She nodded to the mass of briefly flouncing students. "Alright. I want you to grip the handle firmly with both hands and push yourselves clear of the ground."

A panicked gasp interrupted everything else. Regina looked across the line and down just in time to see disaster begin to unfold on one of the boys from the train. Nolan, that was his name, looked pale. Frightened. He'd just pushed up from the ground and choked up hard on the shaft of his broom. It jerked, not seeming to like that at all. Madam Hooch was trying to calm him, but things were going bad very, very quickly. She noticed that he was trying hard to go rigid, to force himself and the erratically twitching broom still, but his fear was only making things worse. Suddenly his broom bucked hard twice, gaining altitude with each surge, then launched itself for the open sky. David Nolan was gone with a scream.

"There's always one," the older woman shook her head once and took a breath to say something to the class, but she never got the chance.

A black, flapping blur erupted from Regina's side. She looked over to see if Reina was alright, but her friend was gone. The olive-skinned girl's eyes widened shock and then, before she could stop herself, Regina Mills charged up into the sky after her friend.

It took only a moment to get herself high and moving at a decent clip and then a moment more to realize what she'd just done. A quick, guilty look back showed that the class had become a mob with the spike-haired professor at its center. Up ahead, Reina had wrapped herself around the shaft of her broom and seemed to be urging it to even more speed. Ahead of both of them, David sped up as well; his shouts were so distorted by distance and fear that they made no sense at all.

'_Mother will kill me if I get in trouble...'_ the girl half turned her broom back towards the crowd below. Then David screamed. Regina watched his broom veer hard left and down into a strangely looping 'S' that almost scraped him off against one of the old castle's merlons. Reina was behind, plowing along in a swift downward arc. She was fast, but there was no way she'd catch up if she kept up such wide turns.

'_She's going to need my help.'_ Regina realized. She lowered her ebon head and bolted away.

David's broom lunged, twisting through a narrow archway, mere feet from the ground. His echoing howls following him through like jet wash.

From her place above the lower square towers, Regina could see her friend blurring after him at exactly the wrong angle. She gasped and dove, already knowing it was pointless. There was no way she could get down there before Reina smashed herself against unyielding stone. Vertigo railed hard through her veins as she dove. She was nearly close enough to shout a warning when the dark girl rolled completely over and pulled herself through, the bristles of her broom leaving a wake of sun dappled dust as she corkscrewed through the narrow opening.

Regina knew there was no way she could follow, so rather than try, she crouched into the Nimbus' stirrup bars and bounded her broom over the wall as if she were taking a fence in the stableyard at home. She cleared the battlements just in time to see David jerk hard right, spin and rocket off in a new direction. It seemed a miracle that he held on. Far below, Reina couldn't make such an abrupt turn, so rather than try to cut horizontally and strike a wall; she pulled up hard, into a rolling, broad vertical turn.

'_There's no way she'll catch him now.'_ She gulped, looking back up to the rapidly receding dot that was David. _"It's all up to me.'_

In an instant she'd tugged the head of her broom around and shot after the boy, following him into the high spires and chimneys of Hogwarts' towers. She cast a quick glance back hoping that Reina had managed to get closer somehow, but all she saw was sharp looking stonework and rooftops. Suddenly she saw something that caused a mixed bloom of relief and dread to appear in her breast. The fluttering shape of Madam Hooch was curving up and towards her, closing in.

'_Let her do it.' _The doubt oozing through her mind had the texture of something her mother might say. _'Surely she's dealt with this sort of thing before. You're not in serious trouble yet. What if something goes wrong?'_

She was ready to slow, to let Madam Hooch do it. If David died, it would be _her _responsibility_._ Then she remembered the Alley. The snatcher. Reina. Her father.

'_You are what you do when it counts.'_

David's broom was climbing away fast.

"Hold on," Regina shouted. "We're coming!"

"Hurry up," a faint voice shouted back, "the bloody thing wants to kill me!"

Regina fought to close and had nearly closed to a broom length when the boy suddenly dove and banked hard around the fat spire of the great tower. There was no time to think. Reflex sent her spiraling tightly after him. They were very close to the roof and the whip of passing gables was loud in her ears.

"Bloody broom can't turn at all," Reina shouted from just behind her shoulder.

Regina blinked at the unexpected sound and risked an instant glance back. What she saw surprised her even more. Where she was riding mostly vertical, leaning slightly into the banking turn, Reina was rocketing along, body lengthwise along the handle and turned with one shoulder pointing towards down the ground.

"If I keep like this I can... bloody hell..."

David's broom had arrowed towards the walls again. There was no way she was going to roll over like that and definitely no way she was going to stop. Worse still, there wasn't time to think too much about it. She crouched lower, gripped the handle in a white knuckled grip, the other back on the bristles and dove, leaving Reina behind and above, trying to cut her angle.

The boy's broom was passing too close one of the lower towers on its way towards the ravine. Its acrobatics stopped when it clipped one of the stones. David pinwheeled away, screaming.

Terror threatened to close off her throat as she dove and snatched clumsily at one of his flailing hands. She missed the first time. Her second try succeeded. Barely. It was like seizing the trigger of an animal trap. As soon as she touched his hand, the other whipped around, snatching at her, clawing her with terror fed fingers. Gravity jerked hard as she tried to lift and slow them. His sudden weight was an anchor that jerked her over to stare at the rocks and water rushing hungrily to meet them. His nails tore her flesh, burrowing for purchase, but her freshly flowing blood mixed instantly with the sweat slick of his hands. Regina's eyes exploded into tears that the blast snatched away.

"I-I can't hold on!" He wailed as he clawed deeper runnels into the meat beneath her skin.

"David..."

Her life devolved into a series of fleeting emotions. Relief that she'd caught him. Pain. Dizziness. Fear that he was pulling her free too. More pain as he clawed deeper. Terror of the rocks rushing to meet them. Realization that he was slipping away. Relief that she would be able to pull up and save herself when he did. Shame that she'd thought such a thing. New determination to never let go. Horror when he fell away.

She watched him fall with wide brown eyes and felt the instant engraving itself into the tissue of her brain. David's skin was pale, bloodless, and his eyes were wide enough that she could see white all the way around. For the first time she noticed that they were green. The boy's mouth was opening, gathering breath for one last scream. Sudden buoyancy caught her unprepared as her broom surged up and away. There would never be time for another chance.

Something black as death exploded through the air beneath her, flapping by so closely that she felt it whip against her leg. The shape hit David with a flat, meaty thud and she heard him grunt. Regina shrieked as the shape wobbled, half tumbling towards the closing rocks. The pair rolled, twisted and spun. Then Reina's broom seemed to dig into the clear air and she shot out and upwards, arcing back towards the school.

It took only a second to right herself, shove the head of her broom around and charge again. Madam Hooch's robes fluttered by just over head as the older woman cut the angle first.

The flapping blob of Reina and David rocketed through a low arc back towards one of the courtyards, but Regina could see that something was wrong. At first she couldn't make out any details, because Madam Hooch kept bobbing between, but she soon saw how the two were rolling over and over. Nor were they slowing down to land. The olive skinned girl knew what was going to happen only an instant before it did.

They skipped the first time they hit, tearing a broad brown streak into the grass. The second skip was much shorter, but it was slower too. One of the dark robed figures peeled off, tumbling through the brief air and rolling to a stop. There was no third skip. The tip of the broom dug in, carving a divot into the turf and catapulting the second rider into a higher, even shorter arc. That one had a spray of black hair.

Madam Hooch dropped into the yard just ahead of Regina. She kicked one leg over the staff of her broom and left it behind as she raced for the stunned figure of David. At least he was beginning to sit up on his own.

Regina blasted by, skidding off her broom, falling, clawing her way back up and half-scrabbling to where Reina lay. "Reina! Reina!"

The girl's dark, confused face was bloody from her nose and she was panting, trying to breathe. Some reflex pushed her hand under the girl's head as she lifted her wand. Reina clenched her jaws and tried to bite off a building shriek.

"_Minor vulneribus mederi."_

There was a faint wet crackle and the girl's mahogany nose seemed to wriggle. Then her eyes opened wildly, fixing on Regina's face.

"Caius?" She choked out in a snarl. For an instant the dark-skinned girl looked as if she were about to lunge away, but Regina held her fast. There was a beacon of something in her eyes that Regina thought she'd never see. Fear. "Caius! No!"

"Please," Regina begged, "Reina stop. Let me help you."

Reina screamed. Her good arm lighteninged up and seized the front of Regina's uniform, jerking her downwards, towards her friend's roaring mouth.

'_She's going to bite my throat,'_ Regina realized dumbly.

Madam Hooch arrived with a leap, fisting Reina's dark hair and pulling her back. The flat of her hand went to the dark-skinned girl's snarling mouth. _"Shh." _Reina collapsed unconscious on the grass.

"What did you cast, girl?" Madam Hooch rushed over.

"Heal minor wounds..."

"Ah. Too little for this job, I think. Let's hope you didn't hurt her more. Help me with Mister Nolan. He's dazed and bruised, but that's all." The spike haired woman jerked her chin towards Regina's dripping hand. "You're injured as well. Pretty badly from the looks of it..."

"What?" Regina looked down. "Oh, David must have clawed me. I'll be alright..." She raised her wand and cast her charm a third time, closing the wound.

"Handy charm, that." Madam Hooch stood and gave her wand a quick swish and flick. Reina rose into the air and the spike-haired woman gave her an impatient look. "Come along. You can guide Mister Nolan."

"W-where are we going?"

"The infirmary. This isn't something for amateurs," "Do hurry, girl. Help Mister Nolan along."

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Regina sat alone on a bed at the front of the room, near the wooden doors. She'd cried so much that her stomach had hurt. Now her mind was a confused whirl. The olive-skinned girl sat with a chapped face, lips that tasted of salt, afraid that if she did anything other than sit and breathe small breaths, she would start crying again and not be able to stop.

David Nolan had been examined and sent back to class long ago, but Reina was still deep inside the long room concealed behind a privacy screen. Madam Hooch was still here as well, speaking in hushed tones with the others who had come in. She recognized Professor Flitwick from her mother's description. Even Headmaster Dumbledore had come. No one had told her anything. In the vacuum of silence her mind ran away with her. She pictured Madam Hooch on the field again saying 'I hope you didn't hurt her more.' She saw Reina's lunging teeth and heard the wet sound of her wounds. It took her a very long time to realize that she hadn't thought of her mother once. She didn't care.

It was a long, unknown time later before anyone seemed to notice that she was still there. Eventually the headmaster came over and his eyes were sad. He sat beside her before and took her hand. She flinched.

"How is Reina? Will she be okay?"

"Her shoulder will heal, yes," the old man nodded and cradled her hand carefully. "But I'm afraid I must ask you some questions."

"I didn't mean to hurt her..."

"And you didn't," Dumbledore patted her hand gently. "Indeed, from what I've been able to gather, your clever charm healed her broken nose. Indeed, she feels very badly about what she did to you in the courtyard. But that's not what I must speak to you about."

"Is it that we went after the Nolan boy? It was unwise I know, but he was in danger..." the world went blurry without warning and the hot coal she'd been keeping at bay in her throat exploded. She felt the Headmaster wrap his arms around her, almost the way her father would have. It didn't help. "We were trying to help... to-to do what we could..." Her voice disintegrated into a shuddering wail.

There were other sounds, other voices, but nothing clear. Madam Pomfrey seemed to appear out of nowhere and pressed a glass to her lips and she drank reflexively. It was sweet and light and somehow soft. She could feel it swirl inside her and whatever it touched stopped hurting. For a few long moments she cried more out of habit than anything else.

The girl wiped at her worried brown eyes and turned to the Headmaster. "You said Reina's shoulder would heal?"

"And so it will, but I'm afraid she's still wounded very deeply and in ways that neither Madam Pomfrey nor I can heal..."

"But what's wrong with her? Did I..?"

"You did nothing to be ashamed of," the old man patted her shoulder. "But someone else has. That's why we need to ask some uncomfortable questions."

"W-what's wrong?" Regina's gaze darted between the nurse and the old man. "Tell me please. She saved my life the day before yesterday. I owe her so much. She's my friend."

"I know. I know," Dumbledore nodded.

Madam Hooch stepped quietly over. Her gaze was so sharp that the little girl could almost feel it cut into her. "Poppy, when you have a moment, Miss Selcouth wants to know when she can leave."

"I'll be right back," the nurse nodded.

"Please sir..?"

"Miss Mills, how much do you know about your friend? About her past?" the old man asked.

"We met just the other day in Daigon Alley. I know she's adopted and her mother is fairly strict. Why?"

Dumbledore sighed, as if debating with himself. "Miss Selcouth has been badly injured during her life. More than once. I need to know as much as possible in order to learn if there might be a way to help make her well again."

"But what's happened?"

"That is not for me to say. I can tell you this much; this is her first year here, as it is yours." The old man didn't smile, but there was something kindly in his voice. "It's a time for new beginnings. Such times can be very frightening. I think it would help her very much if she had one true friend to count on."

Regina paused. The potion she'd drunk kept the tears at bay, but she felt a darkness stirring. A fear. "She called me Caius," she murmured. "Right before she tried... She said 'Caius, no'." She looked up into the old man's eyes. "I've never heard of Caius. He's not in her family now."

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Reina's adopted. She said so on the train," Regina said. "Her father's name is Paulus and she said she had a sister, but no brothers. I can't imagine anyone hurting her."

Dumbledore took a long thoughtful breath. "I can't imagine anyone who would want to..."

The memory of Daigon Alley and the snatcher resurfaced. She remembered how the dark girl had attacked so fearlessly, done so much damage so quickly. _"My girl was about to stab you in the eye with your own wand,"_ Paulus had said. It seemed so hard to believe that anyone_ could_ hurt her.

Madam Pomfrey returned. "Headmaster, could you help me for a moment? I'd like Miss Selcouth to stay, but she wants to leave."

"Is her injury healed enough for her to be released?" the old man asked.

"Yes, but..." The older woman's eyes flicked to Regina and back. "I'd like her to stay. For observation."

"Normally I wouldn't gainsay you, Poppy, but perhaps we should release Miss Selcouth for now. If something happens, we can always ask her to return," Dumbledore replied.

"Well... Very well." The nurse bustled back to the screen.

Dumbledore rose and helped the girl to her feet. "There is something else you must know before you go. I'm afraid Miss Selcouth will be a bit hesitant to be alone with you right now."

"What? Why?" Regina blinked incredulously. "Did I do something to hurt her shoulder worse?"

"No, no. She's afraid of you because she tried to hurt you." The old man followed her towards the screen. "I believe that it's because she was in great pain and forgot for a moment where she was and who she was with. I believe that she's... ashamed."

"But she didn't hurt me..."

"Perhaps not, but you've both had a trying morning, I suggest you go get something to eat and return to your dormitories to recover your balance," the old man gave a small smile. "Don't worry about your afternoon classes. I'll speak to your teachers."

Regina looked over to the screen and to the nebulous shapes moving behind. "May I talk to her?"

"I think it might be best if you waited until tomorrow," Dumbledore suggested. "You've both had a difficult day. Some time to calm down and think about events might benefit you both."

If it hadn't been for the potion, she would have broken down again. Instead she only nodded and stepped ahead of the old man and into the mostly empty ward. She looked back towards the screen again. She could barely tell that someone was sitting up and that there were two other shapes standing nearby. She glanced at the concerned face of the headmaster and reached a decision. Regina Mills took a deep breath, put on what Mother would call her 'ladyship' and walked over to the bed like she owned the whole school.

"...Did you know you have hawk's eyes?" Reina asked as she fumbled with the last few buttons of her school shirt. Her voice held the bleary happiness of too much artificial tranquility. "I'm so jealous."

"Look to your own girl," Madam Hooch replied with a terse, but reassuring little smile. "Wolf's eyes you've got. Blizzard blue and full of lightening. The lads will be lining up to see them flash in a few years. Mark my words."

"So there you are," Regina stepped over, took a nearby chair and sat down beside the bed. "I was wondering if you were ever going to come out."

"Oh. Hi." The flatness of Reina's tone almost counteracted Madam Pomfrey's magic potion. "I'm glad to see that you're alright."

"Just fine." She reached up and took Reina's hand fearlessly.

Reina seemed to shudder as the blood stiffened robe grazed her skin. She lifted her friend's sleeve and saw the crust. "Did I..?"

"No. This is all left over from David. Remember when I grabbed him?"

"I do." Reina looked up at the teachers. "I'm sorry, but could I..?"

"Yes, I think we should be going," Professor Flitwick nodded. He began to waddle off as Madam Hooch spoke. "Listen to me, what you did was ill advised. Brave, but reckless. We'll speak of this next class."

"Are we in trouble?" Reina asked.

"I wouldn't precisely call it trouble, but... well, you'll see. You're not to be expelled, if that's what you're on about." A throat clearing at the end of the room caught her attention. "Get better, Miss Selcouth. Heal."

"I'll try," Reina nodded.

There was an uncomfortable silence as the adults walked away to talk amongst themselves.

"I'm sorry-" they both said at once.

Regina didn't give her friend the chance to override. "I'm sorry about the courtyard. I didn't know about your shoulder. I didn't mean to hurt you more."

"Nothing to be sorry for," Reina said. "I'm sorry I tried to..." She sighed to a stop. "I've had dislocated shoulders before. I shouldn't have... I couldn't think. I'm sorry."

Regina blinked, stunned at _"I've had dislocated shoulders before"._ It took longer than expected to get her mask back in place.

"It's alright. You didn't mean to hurt me. People don't think clearly when they're in pain and I'd just hurt you even more." She shook her head, dismissing the issue and gave a bright smile. "We saved David."

"Yeah, we did, didn't we?"

"The headmaster isn't making us return to class today. What will you be missing?" Regina asked.

"Only Potions and Transformation." Reina gave half a shrug. "I don't even need my shoulder for those."

"You'd really consider going to class after all this?"

"It's what I'm here for," Reina replied. "My shoulder's only a little sore now. I can't afford to look like a poor student, especially not on the first real day of class. Mother'd kill me."

"I know the feeling," Regina sighed.

**There it is. Let me know what you think. It's food for the muse.**

**(9/27/23) LAST edit, I swear. I went through it again last night and saw that in the second half of the story my english sounded awful. Fixed now.**


	9. Chapter Five and a Quarter

_YEAR OF THE SNAKE_

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of OUAT or HP. Wish I did. This is written as fiction without intent to do anything to either of those established works. They're awesome and I'm just playing in their sandbox.

**A/N: This is what made me do the whole big reorganization. I couldn't get the visual of Reina's chapter out of my head. That said, THIS IS FLUFF. As with all fractional chapters, you don't need it for the storyline. Chapter six will be up shortly. Also; no, I don't intend to catalogue every day at Hogwarts. Not even the whole first week really. Just trying to establish differences in R&R's experiences. Plus the girls need to bond.**

Chapter 5 1/4

The midmorning corridors were rapidly draining of students and she'd just started her journey towards Professor McGonagall's class. Still, the girl didn't seem to be in a hurry. She ambled along with a confident step. Happily. Part of her ease had to do with the pass in her hand, but most had to do with that morning's Potions class. Just recalling it put a smile on her face.

"_...I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper on death..." Professor Snape's low voice eeled through the shadows as he prowled the front of the Potions classroom._

'_All in all not a bad speech, I suppose,' Regina thought as she arranged notebook, text and inkwell. 'Still it sounds as if he's done it before...'_

_Snape's voice cut into her thoughts. "Miss Mills, lessons are being taught up here. They will not be revealed through fidgeting."_

"_I'm sorry sir. I was just trying to arrange things so..."_

"_No excuses, if you please," he raised his palm to silence her. "Tell me, if you can Miss Mills, what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"_

"_None, sir," Regina kept her face carefully neutral and attentive. "There both different names for Aconite, as are devil's helmet and blue rocket."_

_He raised an eyebrow. "Hm. Where would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?"_

"_I beg your pardon sir, but I would first look right over there," she nodded across the low ceilinged room to the massive ingredients cabinet. The other students tried to muffle their giggles as she continued. "If not there, then the apothecary in Daigon Alley..."_

"_And if not there?"_

"_Then I should have to go to a slaughterhouse and begin prodding about in animal intestines. A bezoar is a stone, often found in goats. I'm afraid that I don't know of any slaughterhouses devoted to goats, so I'd have to go to whatever one I could find and hope for the best."_

_The class was silent._

"_Very interesting." The lean man strode almost languidly to the center of the room. He looked at her and asked another question. "What would you get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"_

_Regina blinked and thought hard for a moment._

"_Miss Mills? I'm waiting for your answer."_

"_I'm not sure sir. A sleeping potion of some sort? Wormwood is..."_

"_Well clearly there are a few things left to teach you," there were a few more stifled snickers. "Five points to Slytherin. And Miss Mills?"_

"_Yes sir?"_

"_You will remain after class."_

She could grin now at the nervousness she'd then. Her mother would never have been satisfied with trouble within her first week of class and her displeasure would have painful consequences. It wasn't funny then.

She remembered feeling confused as she'd stood before Professor Snape's door. Five points to Slytherin House was definitely a reward, but staying after class...

"_You're an interesting paradox Miss Mills. I find paradoxes entertaining. Briefly. Then they begin to wear."_

"_I-I'm sorry sir. I didn't mean..."_

_He steepled his fingers and leaned back before he interrupted her. "On the first day of class you demonstrate a superior knowledge of potions, yet you answer my questions with more than your fair share of cheek." He pursed his lips thoughtfully, but there was something sinister about the way he just sat there. "Are you familiar with the motto that goes with the colors you wear?"_

"_Yes sir." She waited for a moment before continuing. "Slytherin will help me on my way to greatness."_

"_Interesting the way you possess the phrase, but accurate enough," he nodded. "I imagine that your attitude comes from a position of supposed superiority. Of course, since you were successful at answering my questions, one might consider that superiority to be justified."_ He looked coolly into her eyes. _"We're going to find out whether or not you're correct, Miss Mills. I want you to come to class one half hour early until further notice," Snape said. "You'll begin your day distributing materials for the day's lesson. We'll soon see just how much you know, Miss Mills."_

_She remained still and quiet as he turned his seat and wrote out something on a small bit of paper. She took it meekly when he passed it to her._

"_Am I to be your assistant, sir?"_

_His lips quirked ever so slightly. "You may call yourself that until you prove unworthy. Don't disappoint me, Miss Mills."_

"_No sir." She curtsied as if her mother were looking over his shoulder. Then she'd left._

"I can't wait to tell Reina," she giggled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Reina frowned her way down the corridor far from the Charms classroom. She'd made three serious attempts at levitation and each one had failed, each with its own hazardous and unfortunately humorous result. On the positive side, she'd somehow managed not to hurt anyone. On the negative, two new boreholes in the woodwork of Professor Flitwick's classroom and a shattered pane of glass told the world just how dangerous she could be with a common goose feather.

The professor had been kindness itself, full of supportive phrases like 'things like this sometimes happen'. His words hadn't helped. She'd caught herself thinking over and over _'I wish Regina were here.'_

The yawning door of the Dark Arts classroom broke the train of her thoughts. Through the opening she could see the shifting landscape of other students settling into their seats. She could also see a huge jumble lying in the middle of the floor. Oddly enough, the sight of all that wreckage made her feel better. Dilops bobbed and grunted.

"Come in and take your seat. Come, come, come," a voice commanded impatiently. "Take your seat."

Reina stepped in and picked her way thorough a broad scatter of large white bones. Across the jumble, the dapper man she recognized as Lockhart was giving the bones the swish-flick of a levitation spell. She hurried on as the bones began to rattle and stir.

"There we go," the tan clad man grinned as the bones reassembled themselves and hung itself from a hook on the ceiling. "Can't have dragon bones lying about the place, can we?"

Reina felt herself bristle as she moved towards one of the rear seats. It took effort to be polite. "I'm sorry sir, but that's a wyvern, not a dragon."

The man with the wavy hair blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"It's a wyvern, sir." She looked up, pointing. "You can see it easily. Draco Terribilis," she nearly sneered the words, "has two fully formed fore-limbs. That doesn't. There's also a poison bulb on its tail. From the small size, I'd say it's a male."

"A-ha. Yes." The tone of the man's voice was absolutely no comfort at all. "Well, miss..."

"Selcouth."

"Miss Selcouth, take your seat."

Reina took a seat about three rows back. She couldn't have taken one of the front ones even if she'd wanted to. They were already full of young girls who were apparently content to sit and simper as Professor Lockhart made his way to the front of the room. Oddly enough, as she watched the others, she noticed that she was beginning to draw a few looks of her own. A few careful corner-of-her-eye glances one or two of the boys looking her way. The one that was outright staring was one of the boys from the train.

"Well, good morning class," the dapper professor's ebullience pulled her eye unwilling back to the front of the room. "I'm sure you all know who I am, but just in case any of you have been locked away by evil stepmothers, my name is Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin Second Class and three time winner of Witch Weekly's most charming smile award." Reina thought that there should have been an audible 'ping' from the gleam of his teeth. The girls in the front row filled the air with soulful sighs. The dark-skinned girl just rolled her eyes as he continued. "Doubtless most of you have read my adventures, if not, Flourish and Blotts now offers my collected works in one boxed set..."

A dull spike of annoyance was beginning to burrow its way between her eyes. She rubbed at it. _'With men like him in the world, it's easy to see why the muggles are in charge. I wonder what Mother would do if she even met him. Would she even bother to burn him down, or would she just step on him?'_

Dilops shifted on her shoulder.

"Something..?" her hand froze on the way to the little beast's chin.

There, just above and behind the front row of the Gilderoy Lockhart fan club, hovered a tiny blue misshapen man. He was about eight feet up and if his wings hadn't caught the light just so, she might not have spotted it even though her little beast was so keen on it. Her finned head followed its every drifting motion. Reina wasn't surprised that Lockhart was oblivious.

"Since this class is officially Defense Against the Dark Arts, perhaps the very first thing we should do is teach you a simple charm against evil." The man propped casually against his lectern. "Now something so minor wouldn't help you against most of the nightborne terrors I've had to face, but for everyday, garden variety troubles..."

'_There. He looked about.'_ Reina's eyes narrowed. _'He knows there's something in this room that shouldn't be.'_

"...So if you'll turn in your texts to page fourteen, we'll begin with a simple ward..."

Everyone's eyes went to their books, everyone's that is, but Reina's. She thumped her book obediently open and riffled her pages like all the rest, but her hooded eyes were for the little blue man. Apparently Dilops' eyes remained fixed as well. She shifted.

Sure enough, when it was sure no one was looking, it folded its wings and dropped. Dilops lunged from Reina's shoulder. Chaos erupted.

The tiny man slowed his plummet by seizing the hair of one of the front-row girls, jerking her head hard over. Regina gasped at the sudden pain of her familiar's claws digging into her shoulder as she leapt over the desk and onto a desk in the next row. The girl in the front row cried out in surprise and fright. Dilops hit the next desk, scattering textbook, quill and inkwell in a wide indigo plume. The boy sitting there shouted and leapt up and back, trying to get away from the sudden explosion on his desktop. Ahead of him, the pixie, suddenly aware of the commotion at its back, turned, wide-eyed, just in time to see a particularly brightly hued lizard sliding off the desk towards it. The girl whose hair had been grabbed turned her head just in time to catch a face full of ink. Dilops opened her mouth and shot out her long tongue, slapping the surprised pixie in the middle of its chest. The boy who was leaping back, had done so poorly. He hit the back of his knees on his seat and fell, twisting, off to one side. Dilops fell the rest of the way off the desk, all the while reeling in her meal. The tiny blue man squealed and tried to fly away, but the anchor of the lizard's tongue sent it caroming through a short arc that ended with a hard knock on the desk beside the one Dilops had hit and knocked another inkwell spinning. A second fan of ink licked up and out. Dilops hit the floor with a heavy plop, clapped her jaws shut on the frantic pixie and rolled to a stop against the feet of the girl who'd had her hair pulled to start with. She screamed. The second plume of ink slashed across one of the other few boys who'd managed to find his way onto the second row, coating him and his textbook in a curtain of black.

Reina blinked into the stunned silence. Dilops righted herself and, ignoring the slack-jawed stares of the students around her, hopped onto the second row desktop. She gave every impression of happiness with the madly flailing arms and legs of the pixie in her mouth as she hopped over the fallen girl back onto her mistress' desk. A swift scramble put her back on the dark girl's shoulder, mission accomplished.

"Pixies. You never know what they'll be up to next." Lockhart offered his class a rather confused, somehow hopeful expression. "Thus the need for a protective ward."

"I-if you please, Professor Lockhart," Reina stammered to her feet, "I may know a charm that will help clean things up."

"Oh. Yes. Please." The man quickly gestured for her to continue.

'_Okay, I've seen Regina do this,'_ she thought as she drew her wand. _"Mundopurium."_ Swish, flick.

Ink exploded from the first girl who'd been so liberally bathed. She was instantly clean, school tie and robes straightened. Even her hair combed itself out. Unfortunately, the ink had come off in a fine grey dome, coating everyone within six feet with a layer of tiny speckles.

"Oh," she bit her lip.

"Hm. Five points from Ravenclaw, I think." Lockhart gave her a tiny 'what else could I do' shrug. "So. Page fourteen..."

Reina thumped back into her seat, rubbing at the spike burrowing between her eyes. Dilops burped.


	10. Chapter Six

_YEAR OF THE SNAKE_

DISCLMAIMER: Standard. I don't own it. I'm not trying to profit from it. This is a hobby, not a job, so I'm in it for the fun, nothing else.

**A/N: Yes, it's still the first week of school. My only defenses are that I needed to establish a baseline and H.P. took a bit to start. That said, bear with me, it's not too much longer.**

Chapter 6

"It was brilliant," Hatley's high pitched laughter had a hard time merging with the noise in the great hall, but he shot it out there anyway. "It was like... like dropping a ping-pong ball into a room full of mousetraps."

Regina rolled her eyes when Jones jogged her elbow. He and Whale were cackling almost as madly as the obnoxious storyteller. _This_ was why she hated eating with the other removes. Somehow she always managed to find herself saddled with the terrible trio.

"And... and the best part was the end," Hatley wheezed. "She looks up at Lockhart and says 'please sir, I know a charm,' and she sounded just like that kid from Oliver Twist..."

"The one from the workhouse?" Regina made no effort to keep the sarcasm from her voice. "That would actually_ be_ Oliver Twist."

Hatley waved her off without stopping. "So she waves her wand..."

"Did she kill anyone?" Whale asked as he wiped a tear from his eyes. "She nearly arrowed poor old Flitwick in Charms today."

"Oi. My story first," Hatley's red-faced mirth morphed quickly into something more menacing.

"So what happened, Jeff?" Jones' tone held little fear.

Regina put a meticulously cut bit of chicken into her mouth and tried not to smirk at the easy fracture of the trio's bonhomie. She really didn't want to hear about Reina's misfortune anyway, so rather than pay attention; the girl began to look around the long murmuring hall. The scattered drifting ghosts far more interesting than the noise of her fellow Slytherins anyway. It was then that she finally saw Reina come in. The girl looked angry. Even the normally brilliant little lizard on her shoulder seemed ominously dark.

"She cost her house five more points," Hatley continued, no longer happy. "Lockhart gave them to her for showering half the class with ink from the spell she botched."

Regina knew that Reina wasn't the most social at the best of times, but now she didn't seem merely aloof. Her concern grew as the girl moved along the Ravenclaw table, stopping occasionally to put a bit of this or that into an opened handkerchief. When she reached the end of the table, she folded her bundle closed and headed towards the doors. No one had even acknowledged her existence. When she left, she strode through the ghost everyone called the Fat Friar without even slowing.

Regina hurriedly stuffed an ill-cut cube into her mouth and rushed to follow her friend. When she reached the hall, she saw that the dark girl had already put substantial distance between herself and the noise of the big room. Reina might not have running, but she was certainly walking as if she meant it.

"Reina?" she called. "Reina? Wait, for me."

The angry girl stopped and fixed her with an inscrutable expression. Regina recognized 'the mask' at once. It was the same one she wore when her mother was nearby.

"Reina," she trotted quickly over, "I heard what happened in your classes today..."

"And you came to poke fun at the inbecile too?"

Regina's brow rose. "You're not an imbecile." The girl's acid tone stung and it took real effort not to bite back. Instead, she reached out and laid her hand on one robed shoulder. "I came because you're my friend and I didn't feel like listening to Hatley's obnoxious gloating."

"Hm," she frowned. "He was in my Dark Arts class. Did he tell you what happened?"

"Yes. He thought it was funny. I thought it was unfortunate."

Reina gave her a look and stalked off.

"Wait," Regina hurried after her. "Don't be angry, please. The _mundopurium_ charm isn't as easy as it looks. It takes time..."

"I don't have time." The other girl whirled and Regina was surprised to see the beginnings of tears in her eyes. "I have to able to cast spells so that I can stay. If I can't, they'll kick me out."

"Reina, Reina, Reina," she wrapped her arms around her friend, copying the gesture and tones her father used when she was upset. "It's your first week here. Mistakes are expected. That's how we learn."

"But you can do it so easily..."

"I've been practicing that particular charm since I was eight years old," Regina said. "I still don't do it well enough to please my mother."

"You don't?"

"No." She held Reina out to arm's length, looking into her eyes with her best supportive expression. "Now, let's go back to the hall and finish dinner. Together. Afterwards, I'll teach you the neatness charm."

"No. I-I don't eat with anyone else..."

"Ever?"

"Never." Reina glanced down the hall uncomfortably. "Let's go find a place to practice. Somewhere no one can see me mess up."

"Okay. Lead on."

Reina started walking. "I'd rather learn levitation, if you don't mind..."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Regina bit her lip pensively. Things were definitely not going as well as she hoped. Not ten feet away Reina stood stiffly, staring over the old battlements towards the still black waters of the lake. Outwardly she was cool, calm and collected, but Regina was beginning to know the dark-skinned girl well enough to guess that, despite her appearance, she was about to explode.

"That didn't go well..." Regina observed quietly.

"No." Reina agreed.

"I think..."

"Please don't tell me to think lighter thoughts," the dark girl growled. "I've done nothing but think light thoughts since we started and it just gets worse and worse." She turned her eyes on Regina. "You said that dead leaves were attuned to air, that they would float. So far all they do is crush, turn to dust, catch fire and explode." She clenched her jaw and looked back up at the early evening sky. "Gina, this isn't working. What if I can't do magic? They'll throw me out."

"Don't think like that. If you couldn't do magic at all, then you wouldn't have been able to fly a broom..."

"And we see how well that went..."

"Yes," Regina broke in earnestly. "We saved a boy's life. Not bad work for a pair of first years." She waited a moment to see if there would be any rebuttal and sighed when none came. "Let's look at this objectively. We know you have magical ability. Leaves don't put themselves to all the trouble of exploding for any muggle that happens to wave a stick at them..."

"So you're saying I should be grateful that they're blowing up?"

"Well, it is rather spectacular, isn't it?"

A faint smirk replaced the scowl on Reina's face.

"So you obviously have the ability to make this work," Regina smirked as a low, roiling grumble rattled through the air. "So it's either because you're hungry, or there's just something about the process that we're not doing correctly."

The dark girl ignored another growl. "_We're_ not doing correctly?"

"We're both out here, aren't we?" Regina retorted gently. She thought for a few moments more before continuing. "What were you thinking when we went after David?"

Reina shrugged. "Nothing really. I just wanted to get to him before he fell..."

"Were you thinking about flying at all?"

"No. Not really," Reina's dark brow furrowed with the effort to remember. "I just kept wanting to go faster and faster... I remember that I couldn't figure out how to slow down for the turns. There really wasn't time to think about anything."

"Okay. That could be something." Regina laid another dried leaf on the crotch of the old stone crenel. "Every time you've failed, you've gotten angrier. At first the leaf shot away like a missile. Then it crushed. Then..."

"I see what you mean," Reina interrupted tersely.

"So try not to think of anything at all. Try to do what you did when you first raised the broom," she prompted. "Imagine it done and it will be."

Reina nodded, took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Another breath. _"Wingardium leviosa." _She opened her eyes and the leaf was gone. "Did I do it?"

"Mostly," Regina grinned broadly. "Your leaf shout out that way," she gestured absently towards the lake, "but it didn't burn or explode, so we've solved part of it."

"I suppose so," Reina's nod wasn't enthusiastic. "So we're back to where we started."

"Perhaps, but we're also better informed than we were when we started." She put up a new leaf. "Do the same thing again, but slower this time."

Reina nodded, unable to argue in the face of her friend's hopeful conviction. She took a breath. Another.

"_Wingardium leviosa." _The leaf was gone again. She looked over at her friend. "Well?"

"I think I've got it." Another leaf went onto the stone. "This time do it very slowly. And keep your eyes open."

Reina obeyed and this time the leaf skidded off into the twilight as if pushed by a stiff breeze. She gasped.

"Aha."

"Aha?"

"Aha," Regina repeated. "I think it's really several things."

"Oh yes?"

"You had Professor Flitwick's class this morning, right? Did he tell you about attunement?" Regina grinned when the dark girl nodded. "Now do you remember what Mister Ollivander said about your wand?"

"I suppose..."

"Your wand is Lignum Vitae. It's one of the heaviest woods there is. I think it makes your magic heavier, after a fashion," Regina said. "That and the way you hold it make the force of your spells push very hard."

Reina blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"Everything about the way you cast magnifies strength," Regina drew her own wand from beneath her robes. "Your wand is heavy, strong and you hold your wand as if you can use magic to beat the leaf into the air. Remember, leaves are attuned to the air..."

"You hope..."

Regina ignored the self-conscious jibe. "...So you don't need to use force. You need control. Like this." She gripped her wand like a conductor's baton. "_Wingardium leviosa,_" swish, flick. The leaf tumbled upwards. She followed it with her eyes, lost for a moment in the gentle motion. "You see? Bounce it with your wrist. Imagine pretend you're tapping it with the tip..."

"Hey."

Reina's voice broke into Regina's lesson. She looked back and grinned as she saw a chicken leg floundering in the air between them. Behind it, the dark girl was staring, steadying her wand with both hands and moving the tip in tiny circles.

"Take it, would you?" Reina asked. "This isn't easy."

Regina took the proffered wing. "I thought you didn't eat with others."

"I don't," Reina returned. She sat down beside the opened handkerchief. "When I was... When I lived in the mountains, I had a different family. With them you got what you could get..."

"Were you being punished?" Regina sat down on the stones nearby.

"No. Mother always said that it was a life lesson," Reina replied as she rummaged in the bundle. "She said that the strongest and the fastest got the best of everything. Everyone else got what was left. It wasn't until I lived with Paulus and his family that I learned differently." She reached into the bundle and brought out another piece of chicken and began eating.

Regina was very careful only to take the next bit of food after Reina. "There's a lot of meat."

"There's bread and cheese too," the dark girl shrugged. "Besides, vegetables are yucky. They're either like leaves, string or mud."


	11. Chapter Seven

_YEAR OF THE SNAKE_

DISCLAIMER: I still own nothing, amazingly enough, and despiie my wishes OUAT and HP and all their envirnments and characters still belong to their original owners. This product of my deranged imagination is not for profit, nor for parody really. I'm just messing about.

**A/N: For those of you who have kept with it, I thank you. This was supposed to have been up Monday, but life got in the way. Sorry about that. In recognition and thanks for your patience, I'll be posting two today.**

Chapter 7

Reina had already left the Great Hall, handkerchief full of the most desirable bits from the breakfast table. There was a chance that Regina wouldn't be up this early, but she had been before, and if she were, then she would be wanting breakfast. Reina was hungry too, but more than the necessity of a meal, she enjoyed having someone to talk to. She didn't even make it to the beginnings of Slytherin territory before the girl appeared out of a side passage.

"Good morning," Regina nodded pleasantly.

"Hi. Good morning," Reina replied as she held out the bulging cloth. "I got us food. There's even fruit, but no vegetables. Nothing greasy. We're flying in a bit."

Regain chuckled at her friend's rough clad wisdom. "Good thinking."

"There you two are."

The boy's voice made them stop and turn. Reina took reflexive a half step, putting herself between her friend and whoever. Regina quirked her eyebrow as David Nolan jogged towards them.

"You two don't get up half early, do you?" he panted to a stop before them. "Is the Great Hall even ready yet?"

"It is," Reina replied a little stiffly. "Breakfast begins at six for the faculty, but they don't mind anyone who wants to get an early start."

"Good grief, who wants to get up before the bloody sun?" David shook his head.

"You did apparently," Regina observed.

"I don't have any other classes with either of you and I really don't see you at meals. Even if I did, I'm not getting near the Slytherin table of I don't have to." David offered a bright, honest smile along with his hand. It broadened as Regina took it. "I wanted to catch you before flying this morning. It's been so crazy the last few days that I haven't had the chance to thank you for saving my life,"

Regina returned his smile and nodded. "Quite alright, I assure you."

He took Reina's hand. "I thought I was going to die."

"I did too," Reina replied simply. She gave a quick shake and turned to say something more to Regina.

"What? Wait." He blinked surprisedly. "That... that's a bit harsh, isn't it?"

"No," the dark girl tilted her head curiously. "You were often very high up, and even when you weren't, you were very close to things and moving very fast. I didn't think you'd be able to hold on as well as you did, or be as lucky as you were. I'm glad I was wrong."

"Me too." David's brow furrowed uncertainly. He shook his head and turned his attention to the other girl, "I also wanted to warn you..."

"Warn us of what?" Reina stepped into place between David and her friend.

"Nothing bad," he answered, raising his hands quickly.

Regina put a claming hand on her friend's shoulder. "Let's see what Mister Nolan has to say before we jump to conclusions."

The hard glint in the girl's ice blue eyes made him swallow nervously. "Anyway, there's a kid, Gryffindor like me, named Colin Creevey. He's all over the place with his camera. He's been bugging me to get a picture of us all together."

Reina looked over to Regina. "Why would he want that?"

"I'm not sure," David volunteered. "Yesterday he seemed pretty keen on chasing Harry Potter around."

"Who?" the girls chorused.

David's incredulous eyes volleyed back and forth between them. "You're joking, right?"

"There you are," a new voice announced.

The three looked up to see a curly-haired blonde boy jogging their way. The strange, obviously muggle-made device strapped around his neck bounced with every step.

"Speak of the devil," David muttered.

"Hi. I'm Colin Creevey," the new boy's puff was so exactly like David's that Regina couldn't help but chuckle again. "I was wondering if I could take your picture?"

"I thought you were after Harry Potter," David said. "He's famous enough."

"Yes, he is," Colin agreed, unfazed. "Last year he found the Philosopher's Stone, you know?" He looked around slyly before whispering, "I've heard he fought he-who-must-not-be-named for it. He won too."

"Philosopher's Stone?" Reina asked.

"Yeah," Colin nodded. "They say it was made by an alchemist, Nicolas Flamel, and it's kept him alive for like a thousand years."

Regina felt a shiver slip down her spine.

"Did this Potter boy kill him and take the Stone?" Reina asked, tilting her head curiously.

"What? No." Collin replied. He blinked away the question and turned back to the pensive Regina. "So can I have that picture?"

"I don't know, Colin," David sighed. "It's really a..."

"...A very good idea," Regina interjected quickly.

"It is?" Reina and David chorused.

"Of course." The olive-toned girl pasted a bright smile on her face. "And it's good for more reasons than one." She raised her eyebrows at the skeptical pair. "Just think, in years to come we'll all have something to commemorate the first week of school _and_ the conclusion of our first real adventure away from home." She nodded to Colin. "It's also something you might put in the school paper. Picture it," she raised her hands, framing an imaginary headline, "'Hogwarts students aid each other in adversity', or something like that."

"Does Hogwarts have a school paper?" David asked.

"Well if it doesn't then it should," Regina replied with another firm nod to Colin. "And just think, not only will you have the first pictures, but the first interviews as well."

"Wow," the boy beamed. "I hadn't thought of that."

"So, as far as I am concerned, yes, you may take our picture." She raised a finger. "_But_ only if the rest of us get a copy as well."

It took a few minutes for the boy to snap them and do an impromptu interview. He clearly wasn't ready and it seemed that even he knew that his questions weren't the best. But before long, he'd flashed his camera, asked a few maundering questions and gone on his way.

"You know you've probably just created a monster, don't you?" David asked as they headed down a walkway together.

"Perhaps," Regina nodded absently, "but I'd rather have him as my monster than someone else's."

"The only problem with monsters is that you have to feed them from time to time," Reina observed with a frown.

"There you are," Madam Hooch's voice caught them from behind a corner.

"I'm getting really tired of those three words," Reina grumbled.

"You're very early for class," the woman said as she strode over. "That's good. Very good. We can conclude Monday's business without taking class time. Miss Selcouth, Miss Mills, get your brooms and report to my office. Mister Nolan, you will please come with me."

The two girls sat in the scuffed and beaten leather chairs before Madam Hooch's desk.

"It looks more like the groom's quarters at home," Regina observed quietly.

Her eyes wandered over the walls strewn with school banners and tacked with old pennants. There were shelves of the flowing photographs such as true witches preferred; people captured on brooms, or lines of people waving at the camera. There were several of a younger, non-grey Madam Hooch. One even had her in quidditch gear.

'_Perhaps she was just Miss Hooch back then.'_ Regina couldn't completely suppress a grin.

"I like it," Reina nodded as she too looked about. "It feels less like a school. Like someone lives here."

On the wide, work-scarred desk, amid a strange clutter of sandpaper and bits of wood stood the only bit of silver in the office. It was a picture frame. Both girls looked at each other, both pairs of eyes suggesting to the other that they definitely _not_ go look.

The door didn't exactly slam open and closed, but it did move in a quick, business-like way. The sound of it threw the two girls to their feet and Regina found herself copying Reina's soldier-like stance of attention.

The swift clop of Madam Hooch's boots barely beat her to the desk. She had billowed in and sat in a second. After that she was almost frighteningly still. For the longest time she just stared at the two girls over the steeple of her fingers. It felt oddly predatory when one corner of her mouth quirked upwards. She spoke.

"Sit." She waved the girls down and leaned forward onto her elbows. "You two have put me in an unenviable position. Usually, when there's an incident of this magnitude, there's an obvious right and wrong. No doubt you already know that when things are right, you gain your house points, but when there's a wrong... well." She sighed. "You've left me a mix of both."

"Both ma'am?" Reina asked. "I don't understand."

"It's quite simple Selcouth. Quite simple. You did both right and wrong. Did one to do the other, you see? I don't like it when things aren't so cut and dried." Her golden, hawk's eyes flicked from one to the other. "You disrupted my class and risked your own lives to save one of your classmates. You were very reckless. Her lip quirked again. "You were very brave. Both of you sustained injuries to keep Mister Nolan from being hurt. It could have been very bad for the school if those injuries had been severe. It could have been very bad if Mister Nolan had died."

"Couldn't you just average the events?" Regina asked timidly. "One positive, one negative? It would all balance to the good, wouldn't it?"

"Are you sure you're a Slytherin?" the woman asked, impaling the girl with her keen eyes. "That's a very Ravenclaw question." She didn't wait for an answer before driving on. "No. I couldn't average it all out. You're all in or all out with me." She sat back. "No, I'll be cruel to you."

"Cruel?" Reina turned her head to lock her eyes on the professor."

"I've noticed that many of today's young people do many, many things without a thought. Sometimes such spontaneity has consequences. We're at that point right now. Consequences." She paused for a long, exquisite moment. "Freedom to act sometimes means freedom to fail." She returned Reina's gaze unflinchingly. "I've decided to let you two decide your own fate."

There was a moment of stillness in the room. Regina took a breath and broke it first. "I'm sorry, Madam Hooch, but what do you mean?"

"You shall both write a parchment, an after-flight report, if you will. Each of you will detail your motivations for acting, _and_ equally importantly, why you chose the maneuvers you performed." She leaned back, steepling her fingers again. "I want to know why you did every single thing you did. Everything. From first lift to last impact. No need to include your injuries and treatments, the Headmaster has already decided that those matters are closed."

The two girls seemed to relax a little. Again Madam Hooch tried to suppress a smirk.

"There are rules for this parchment. First, you will not compare notes. If I detect a copied phrase, you both will not only get twenty-five points deducted from your houses, but you will get detention. Letters will be sent to your families indicating such."

Regina gulped. "W-will you..?"

"Nothing will be sent out until your parchments have been turned in," Madam Hooch interrupted. "After all, the matter's not yet settled, is it?"

"No ma'am," the girls replied.

"Very good," the woman nodded and stood. "Second, You will not lie. If I detect any deception whatsoever, either through a direct lie, half truth, or lie by omission, you will be punished. You have until Monday to turn your parchments in. Now, report to the quadrangle. You're grounded until I have your reports, but I'll expect you to attend and to participate in class."

"How are we to participate if we can't fly?" Reina asked.

"You've got eyes, haven't you? Observe. I'll be asking your thoughts periodically. Don't slough off," Madam Hooch gestured impatiently towards the door. "Go. I won't have you making me late for my own class."

"So what are you going to do?" Reina asked unexpectedly. She held out the napkin.

"What?" Regina looked away from the other students who were circling slowly overhead. She shook her head and took a bit of banana. "Do about what?"

"Your mother, I'd guess." The dark nose wrinkled as she sniffed at a piece of melon. After a second she popped into her mouth with an 'it'll do' shrug. "You've said she's strict and this is going to look bad to her."

"You seem to know a lot about my mother."

"You've mentioned her before." Reina sad as she pocketed the bundle. "Anyway, I can almost smell the fear coming off you. I feel the same way."

"You?"

"I have to report to Paulus."

"I-is he the one who dislocated your shoulder the first time?" Regina looked back away, trying not to notice her friend's shudder.

"No. Paulus disciplines me when I fail. He's not cruel or victorious..."

"Victorious?"

"Really, really mean. He doesn't try to cripple me or anything like that."

"You mean 'vicious'," Regina corrected.

The ebon head nodded. "He's not vicious, but I get the belt sometimes. It goes better for me if I confess before he finds out another way. Honor counts for a lot with his people."

"So who..?"

"What?"

"I don't mean to pry," Regina sighed.

"Ask. If I don't want to answer, I won't."

Regina gnawed her lip. "Wh-who hurt you? Your shoulder, I mean." She looked back. "The headmaster said you'd been abused."

Reina's jaw clenched.

"He's not broadcasting it," Regina supplied quickly. "He only asked me because I'm you're friend. He wants to help you if he can." There was a long pause. "So do I."

There was a long pause as the dark girl stared up at the others. Madam Hooch was in the center of the circle suggesting this or that. Regina was about to give up on a reply when the dark girl finally rolled up one of her sleeves.

"Look," Reina held her forearm out. There were deep scars. She kept her tone almost conversational as she continued. "Paulus and Renee called them defensive wounds when they first saw them. They came from putting my arms up between my face and whoever."

"Whoever?"

"My blood family isn't... wasn't like everyone else's." She restored her sleeve before anyone else could notice. "I don't even remember the first time they hurt me enough to bleed." She gave her friend a self-conscious glance. "It was my brother that dislocated my shoulder. I was nine, I think. He's dead now."

"Reina..?" Her voice wasn't outraged, but it registered quiet shock.

"I told you about me. Now tell me about you."

There was another long pause and Regina's hand, weighted by her own private shame, dropped. "Magic doesn't leave scars."

"I thought as much." He bundle came back out and both girls took something. "It's your eyes. When Madam Hooch said 'twenty-five points', I thought you were going to cry."

"What am I going to do?" Regina felt a fearful thickness at the back of her throat. "What are _we_ going to do?"

"You've got to tell your mother and I've got to tell Paulus," Reina said simply. "We're both in for it, but it'll go easier for us if they don't hear it from someone else." She gave a brief, rueful chuckle. "Besides, from what I've heard, you've got less to worry about than me."

"What do you mean?"

"Your housemate, Hatley," she frowned up at the crowd in the sky. "He's always sure to tell me how you're doing. You made class assistant in Potions on your first day. Your mother won't mind that. Just tell her that you saved David all on your own and she'll be thrilled."

Regina gaped at the sudden bitterness in her friend's voice. "You can't be serious..."

"Listen, we can't all be the good one," Reina cut her off. She sighed and began again, more quietly. "I know what I am. I've always known. Believe me."

"Then you'd better rethink yourself."

The unexpected anger in Regina's tone made the dark girl look over. The change in her friend's demeanor was almost shocking. The worried little girl with mild brown eyes was gone. In her place was someone new, someone stiff-backed with indignation.

"I don't know who you've been told you are," Regina clipped out, "but I'll tell you who you are here and now. In the space of a week you've quite literally saved my life and David Nolan's and whether you know it or not, you've earned the respect and admiration of quite a few other people. It may not seem so at this moment, but whatever dark fate you believe awaits you is being overcome. Right here. Right now." She turned away from the rest of the class and crossed her arms as if she were daring Reina to contradict her. "You're my friend and, heaven help you, I am yours. _We_ will pass this hurdle together. You'll see."

Reina Selcouth stood dumbfounded on the green. There was a long moment of silence and then she felt something tickle her cheek. She wiped, catching it as it crawled. When she looked, she saw only water.

"What..." she cleared her throat. "What are you going to tell your mother?"

"You've already given me my answers," Regina returned her gaze to the others. "It won't be pleasant, but I know exactly what I'm going to say. That's not important right now." She sighed. "What is important is making the rest of these clods see what already I do."

**A/N: It's a little short, I know, but this was the whole scene. Sorries.**


	12. Chapter Seven and a Half

_YEAR OF THE SNAKE_

DISCLAIMER: ( I need a blanket one of these to cut and paste...) OUAT and HP are property of their respective owners, not mine. No copyright infringement is intended.

**A/N: Not all could possibly be beer and skittles at Hogwarts. I thought it was time to rbring back a few of the villains.**

Chapter 7 1/2

The waters beyond the big windows were just going indigo when Regina Mills made her way down the wide stairs and into the Slytherin Common Room. Her stride was at odds with her feelings; head up, shoulders back, she walked with poise and a cool expression. In reality, she felt anything but confident.

"You. Mills." The voice of Draco Malfoy cut through the susurrus of scattered conversations. "I'd like a word with you." The boy shrugged from a nearby perch and swaggered over, flanked by his hulking two chums.

"I'm sorry, Malfoy," she adjusted her course to avoid the trio, "I'm a bit busy just now. Could we perhaps..." The tall one, Goyle, stepped into her path.

"I said I wanted a word," the blonde boy repeated with a self-important smirk.

"And I said I was busy." She shot the thug in her path a stony frown. "If you're trying to intimidate me, don't. Bad things happen to people who try to push me about."

"If you mean your little wog friend, _she's_ the thing we're here to sort out," the boy sneered thickly.

"Sort out? Sort out?" The girl's sharp bark of laughter drew a few eyes. "I suggest you choose your words a bit more carefully. The last person who tried to 'sort her out' was a grown man and a criminal at that." Her voice dropped to a predatory purr. "I watched her break his knee." She paused long enough to let the fact sink in before turning her eye back to Malfoy. "However, she's not the one I was referring to. You have perhaps met my new patron?"

"Patron? What are you..?"

"Professor Snape has taken me as one of his classroom assistants." Her slowly forming smile was somehow both broad and threatening. "I'll be seeing him half an hour before class every day. That's quite a lot of time to chat about bullies, isn't it?" Her eyes flicked meaningfully to Crabbe and Goyle.

The boy frowned. "You two. Go." When his minions had left, Malfoy began again, in a somewhat more polite tone. "You're associating with the wrong people, Mills..."

"Do you mean our house master, the flying professor, the headmaster, or the contacts I've been making in Ravenclaw and Gryffindor?"

"Contacts? What are you..?"

Regina cut him off with a gesture. "Mister Malfoy, I didn't want to have this conversation with you, but since you've forced me, we'll have it. I assure you, you won't enjoy it very much."

She raised her voice, intentionally capturing the ears of some scattered nearby groups. "Our house motto is 'Slytherin will help you on your way to greatness'. I observe that _you_ do not wish to be a supporter if that ideal. Quite frankly, I will not allow you to impede my progress." She gave the room a quick glance and, sure enough, other ears were pricking and eyes were beginning to wander their way. She took a breath and rolled hastily on. "While you may be content to flaunt your families' good name and brandish it like a sword in order to get away with whatever petty pursuits you choose, I have greater things in mind. Naturally, I'd be foolish to confide anything of importance in you, but suffice to say that everything I do is part of a carefully laid plan. Those whom I choose to speak to, or choose to achieve that design are not for you to decide. _You_ will not be allowed to upset my plans." She glared into his goggling face. "I strongly suggest that you and your neanderthal minions turn your attentions to an easier target, one that won't cost you more than any imagined victory might gain."

She moved forward briskly, forcing him to move or get run over. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have important things which require my attention."

She strode on as dismissively as she could. It took quite a lot of effort not to smirk as the snickers exploded behind her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

The compact was still hidden within the shadows of her nightstand. She swallowed unhappily, opened the little gilt box and stroked its edges just so.

"_Exaudi me mater. Exaudi me mater."_

Her reflection faded into a miasma of violet smoke. She waited. The purple swirl remained unchanged. She tried again.

"_Exaudi me mater. Exaudi me mater."_

"Yes, yes, I hear you." The mist swirled turquoise and the frowning face of Cora Mills appeared in the center of the glass. Regina couldn't help but notice that the walls and cornices behind her mother's head were not those of Kylesly. There was a sound of music. "What do you want, Regina? I'm busy."

"I-I just wanted to... to let you know about my week..."

"Your week? It's Thursday night." The older woman's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Something must have happened, or you wouldn't be calling me so soon. Well? What have you done?"

"A-All of my classes have gone very well, mother," she answered hurriedly. "I've been made assistant in Professor Snape's Potions class..."

"Snape? Who's he?"

"He's the potions-master at Hogwarts. He's also the head of Slytherin House."

One of Cora's pencil thin eyebrows rose appreciatively. "Interesting. It seems that you might have done well, but why do I think there's more?"

The girl took a deep breath. "There was an... incident. Monday. In flying class..."

"An incident?"

"There was a boy. David Nolan." The girl could feel her unused hand nervously clenching and unclenching over and over. "He lost control of his broom. We-_I_ went after him. I saved his life."

"Very heroic," Cora's slow sarcasm coated the girl's skin like oil.

"Y-yes it was," Regina nodded. "he might have been killed without us. Me!"

Regina gasped as the first talon tips of agony burrowed into her organs.

"What you mean to say is that you had help in your little activity. From the extremity of your evasions, I would imagine you've disregarded my wishes and you and that Selcouth girl," she all but snarled the name, "went haring off on some fool's errand that happened to involve some common boy or other. She probably caused it, whatever _it_ was. Isn't that what you mean?"

"No, mother. That's not how..," she gasped as the pain grew.

"Don't lie to me, girl. I'm your mother after all. I know you." The woman's lip wrinkled dangerously. "Now, isn't that what you meant to say?"

"No. Not at all," she grunted. "Mother please. There's more." She tried to force herself straight and look her mother in the eye.

"Speak."

"Madam H-Hooch is giving us an opportunity..."

"Opportunity? For what? To prove that you're even more incompetent than you've already demonstrated? To shame me even further?"

"It's not like that."

"Hah!" Cora barked. "Very well. Tell me how it's not like that, but you'd better have something interesting for me."

Regina fought not to sag as the talons receded. "We have to write a paper explaining our actions..."

"Excellent," Cora rolled her eyes. "Something else I suppose I'll have to do for you." She looked quickly around, as if she were searching for eavesdroppers.

"You can't," Regina objected. "I mean..."

"What did you say to me?" Cora demanded. Invisible talons drove deeply, wringing a whimper from the girl's mouth. "You are a child. Don't you ever presume tell me what I can or can't do."

"I-I have to write it," Regina keened. "She'll know if I don't. Madam Hooch will know."

"You're becoming tiresome, Regina." Fresh pain maggoted into the girl's belly as Cora frowned again.

"Please. I can explain." The talons withdrew slightly, leaving the girl panting and weak, but there was no time to rest, to recover. Not yet.

"We've been told to write our papers separately, not to copy each other. She, Madam Hooch, will be looking closely..." The girl shook herself again, slowing her babble. "Not only must we explain our motivations, we have to explain why we flew like we did, what maneuvers..."

"Yes, yes," Cora nodded, releasing her daughter, "I see what you mean now. It would be difficult for me to duplicate the simplistic writing style of a child, especially when one is trying to explain complicated things."

The girl offered a little smile. "Yes mother. That's exactly what I meant."

"You should have said so at once, Regina," the older woman sighed. "You must learn to express yourself more clearly. Is that anything else?"

"No, ma'am. If we do well on our papers, then we'll be rewarded instead of penalized," Regina replied. It was easier to talk now that the pain had been pulled away. "They're due Monday before the..."

"Is yours completed?"

"Not yet, mother. I've been working on it, but I've had regular homework as well." She felt even more relief as the woman nodded. "I thought that I should make you aware of the details before you heard a rumor from someone else."

"A surprisingly wise thought," Cora gave another grudging nod. "You've given me time to prepare something. You will inform me the instant this Madam Hooch decides something."

"I will mother."

"And Regina?"

"Yes mother?"

"Don't disappoint me."

"I..." turquoise mist swirled in, obliterating the woman's face. An instant later Regina Mills was looking into her own glimmering brown eyes. "I won't mother."

Regina wouldn't let herself fully feel any relief until the compact was closed and restored to the darkness of her nightstand. She replaced it with slow, deliberate movements. It was hard to ignore a tiny whisper that told her to just smash the damned thing.

Her legs were trembling so much that she almost fell as she sealed the little thing away. The girl managed a single stumbling step to her bed where she collapsed, curled up and covered her face with a pillow. It was only when she felt herself hidden and safe did she allow a silent, despairing trickle of tears to fall.


End file.
